Life's Little Challenges
by The Light of Reason
Summary: The lives of the TMNT were turned upside down when Lily, Rachel, Sam and Vanessa entered their circle. Now, the past is resurfacing, and they must stick together to overcome life's challenges amid secrets, love and plots. Sequel to LMTDST...
1. Harder Than It Looks

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They belong to Mirage Studios, and Gosh darn it, you're not allowed to be the head of a major company until you're of age! _D:

_So…I'll just have to wait a little longer before I can legally take over. That's not saying that I'll use legal and fair ways to take over, but…it'll be partially legal!_

_Here's the DL (yeah, I still use this term): This chapter is Leo/Rachel central. It takes place roughly a month after the fluffy chapter I wrote simply to tie up loose ends, so they've all gotten more used to each other (as you will soon find out). This can get pretty steamy. You will want to be wearing your sunscreen SPF 30, because this is going to get __**hot**__!_

_Leo: _O.O

_On with our story. Enjoy!_

Rachel winces as Leo flips her over his shoulder for the third time in a row onto the mat and she lands with a loud thump on her back. She gets back to her feet quickly to impress Leo and show him she's not weak, but hisses as she lifts one of her arms, a shot of pain going from shoulder blade to elbow.

"You okay?" he asks and she nods, rotating her shoulder to work out the tension and sending another duller spurt of pain up her arm. The grimace on her face concerns him and he orders her to take five which she gratefully accepts. Breathing heavily, she regrets agreeing to do a training session without the other girls. Being the only girl and least skilled singles her out, not to mention how intimidating it is; she wouldn't have even allowed herself to be talked into these training sessions suggested by the four boys and their father because of their now jeopardized safety. Leo was adamant that she not wait long to learn a little self defense to keep herself from being killed within the first five seconds of meeting a Foot lackey. Usually she wasn't so alone, but today Lily, Vanessa and Sam all had other commitments. Always the overachiever, Rachel decided a solo session might not be bad-poor judgment on her part.

_'Darn them for having lives,'_ Rachel says to herself, exhaling a huge breath before she strides over to the entrance of the dojo. Brushing some hair from her eyes, Rachel mutters, "It's hot in here," and pulls her oversized red shirt off, revealing a light blue tank top underneath. Leo is mesmerized by how her shirt hugs her slender body perfectly, her gentle curves more pronounced as sweat glistens on her collarbone and beads on her forehead. Unfortunately, Leo is still staring at her when she notices him, and smiling self-consciously, she jokes, "Control your hormones, Leo."

His eyes dart away from her like lightning, a flush forming on his face. Mikey and Raph chuckle quietly and Don doubles over to hold in his laughter. Rachel smiles and walks back over to the mat, asking, "Who wants to take me on? I'm ready."

Raph volunteers, knowing it will only take a second to flip her. Cracking his knuckles, which earns a remark about arthritis from Don, Raph moves in front of the rookie, poised to attack. Little does he know, Rachel is anticipating that cocky smirk sliding right off of his face with relish. Having watched them many times while practicing, she has learned the style of attack most used by Raph: impatient blunt force. All she has to do is ride out his furious attacks and she can win.

He gives Rachel a small dip of the head in place of a formal bow and she returns it more respectfully, readying herself for what she's decided to do. Raph lunges at her quickly to just flip her and get it over with, taking the direct approach as usual. Rachel waits until he reaches for her right wrist and then dodges to the left, kicking him in the shell as he passes by her. Slightly surprised, he turns and aims a blow to her shoulder. She smiles as she drops down to one knee, swinging her leg around and missing his feet as he jumps over it. He backs up a bit more and waits for her to return to her feet, coming in again. She moves to the side, but this time he kicks her hard in the torso, and she staggers back. The wind in completely gone from her lungs and gasping she regains her balance, giving her head a sound jerk before she takes a defensive stance.

_'She's persistent, I'll give her that,"_ Raph muses, ducking in close to her to reach her wrist and flip her over…

Rachel slips away again, still gripping her side, and deflects a hard punch aimed at her shoulder. He tries to punch her again, but she blocks it, ignoring the crack that issues from her forearm. _'At least it's my arm and not my face.'_

Twisting around, she attempts to spin kick him across the face but Raph catches her foot, flipping her onto her front. With a whoosh, the air exits her lungs again, and she can barely breath as she stands up, putting up her dukes. Raph's fists come at her in a rapid onslaught, and she backs up to the wall behind her, softening most of them with her forearms. An idea comes to her, and when he aims a particularly hard punch at her, she moves to the side. His knuckles smash against the brick wall, and he mutters a curse under his breath before he kicks Rachel hard again, knocking her onto her back upon the mat. Rachel releases a groan as she rubs the back of her head, rolling out of the way just as Raph lands on the mat. She gets to her feet in a crouch and eyes Raph as he stands up, his fists clenched tightly. Her posture straightens slowly, and Raph's height becomes less apparent as she stands erectly, knees bent and her hands held up in front of herself. For the first time in his life, Raph decides to wait, and use his words instead of his fists.

"Ya know, there's no _way_ you can beat me," Raph taunts, trying to provoke her.

"There's certainly a way I can kick your sorry butt," she counters. Smirking, Raph insists, "Hit me with yer best shot."

Eyes becoming mere slits, Rachel lunges at him. Her second mistake of the day-Raph catches her hands as she comes at him, rolling over backwards and landing on top of her. Panting heavily, she looks up into his smug face, knowing she can't do anything at this point. She's pinned. They stay like that a few seconds longer, and Leo shifts uncomfortably, joking dryly, "I'm not sure I want you two that close."

Grinning at Leo's undeniable jealousy, Rachel says, "It's okay, my shirt's between us," and adds as an after thought, "…although that could change."

The look of alarm on Leo and Raph's faces as he lurches off of her is priceless, Leo's swiftly becoming a glare and Raph's a frightened glance. Mikey and Don can barely contain their laughter as they lean against the wall, watching Raph's face camouflage with his mask and Leo's eyes shoot daggers at him. Giggling, Rachel assures, "I'm joking, Leo! You take me way too seriously. I mean-would I ever really go for Raph?"

Leo's arms fall from their position across his chest and Raph's brow furrows in offense. Before he can retaliate to the insult, Rachel suggests, "It's your turn next Mikey," motioning for him to come towards the mat. He pads over stiffly, surprised by how well she fought Raph. He beat her, but it was a close fight; closer even than the fight between himself and Raph at the Battle Nexus-

_'…where I became __**Battle Nexus Champion**__! Okay, never mind that, she nearly kicked his shell! Wow, she can be intimidating when she wants to be…and she obviously wants to be now. I guess I'm gonna have to face it like a man, there's no way around it. I'll never live it down if she wins…'_

Holding his hands up at the ready, he swallows nervously and waits for her to make a move. She ducks in close to him in a quick movement and swings her leg out, knocking him off of his feet. Embarrassed that in the first five seconds of their spar she has him on his back, he kicks up his legs and lands soundly on his feet, staring her directly in the eye. Rachel watches him very carefully for a giveaway, and rockets to the side when Mikey comes at her, executing a round-off before landing in a crouch. Mikey comes in close and they punch and dodge each other, Mikey's hits faster and more accurate, but Rachel's determination and ability to move around him keeps her in the game. Tired of the hit and dive approach, Mikey drops down on one knee and knocks her off of her feet, pinning down her upper body. Releasing a loud gush of air, Rachel somehow manages to kick Mikey off and rolls away, standing up quickly. As he gets to his feet, he's bowled over by Rachel as she attacks him from the side with a powerful kick, planting her foot on his chest just below his throat.

"Hey, that's cheating!...Okay, okay! You win! Can you lift your foot now? I can't _breathe_!" Mikey whines. Rolling her eyes, Rachel mutters, "If you couldn't breathe, you wouldn't be talking," but lifts her foot off of Mikey and pulls him to his feet. "Not bad, dudette!"

"Thanks, Mike," Rachel replies, panting heavily as she brushes the perspiration from her forehead. She smiles and gasps, "That…was some…workout," stretching upward and bending back down to touch her toes. Leo smiles faintly as he watches her, unaware that anyone notices him at all. But Don catches him looking at Rachel and smirks at his brother's uncharacteristic lack of subtlety.

_'He's got it __**bad**__!'_

Rachel grabs her bag and heads off to the shower, Raph and Mikey making their way to the couch. When the buzz of the television can be heard, Don closes the door to the dojo slightly and begins to put away the equipment with Leo. Trying to be conversational, Don asks nonchalantly, "What did you think of that training session?"

"It was good," Leo replies slowly, a little surprised Don didn't bolt straight to his little hovel like he usually does after practice. Frustrated that Leo didn't get the hint, he adds enthusiastically, "Rachel has really improved."

Fingering the hilt of an intricately carved sword, Leo sighs softly, "Yeah," in a different world as he hangs it on the wall. Noting the look on Don's face, he blurts, "I mean she's really dedicated, and…eager to learn. She's progressed a lot."

Placing his hand on Leo's shoulder, Don encourages, "You don't have to pretend for anybody, because no one's buying it. Go for it Leo, you're not going to find another girl like her just anywhere. Forget about being the leader for one second and tell her how you feel. She's worth it."

Leo moves away from Don and turns to arrange the weapons in their cabinet, surprised when he forced to turn back by his brother. "What are you waiting for?!" Don shouts in exasperation, insisting, "She's out there right now, so go tell her you love her, and _don't_ give me that glare Leo, because there's no denying it. You _love_ her."

It's not a question; it's a statement. Leo closes the mouth that was forming words in protest, stumped for a legitimate answer. He has to wonder… _'Do I __**love**__ her? No, I really can't love her, that's too powerful a word to describe this. This is a…a crush.'_

Wanting to avoid giving any response at all to Don's bold but true statement, Leo pulls closed the doors to the cabinet and exits the dojo without daring to glance back. Shaking his head, Don smirks as he says to himself quietly, "He's got it _really_ bad."

Leo enters the living area to see Mikey in his usual place on the couch playing a loud, violent video game and Raph reading a book in the leather armchair. _'Hold the phone. Raph? __**Reading?**__ Something isn't right here.'_

Shockingly, Raph does have a book in his hands, but he doesn't really seem to be paying that much attention to it. In fact, his eyes never waver from the one spot on the page. Leo furrows his brow as he notices something that gives the whole act away. Shaking his head in disbelief, he strides over to Raph with purpose. Pretending to be surprised at the arrival of his brother, Raph looks up and stammers, "Oh…hey, Leo. What're ya doin'?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you the same thing?" Leo counters, folding his arms across his plastron in displeasure. Portraying innocence, Raph asks, "What are ya talkin' about, Leo?"

Leo rolls his eyes at his brother for believing him so naïve and accuses bluntly, "You were listening to my conversation with Don in the dojo."

"I was not!" He squawks indignantly, and gestures to his book, defending, "I was readin' my book the whole time."

"Upside down?" Leo asks doubtfully, plucking the book from Raph's hands. Unable to find a way to fill the hole in his alibi, Raph points out, "I woulda found out eventually, Fearless." Leo sighs, defeated, and ignores the immature jibe, wondering, "Do you know where Rachel is?"

Smiling smugly at his brother, Raph replies, "She's cleaning up in the bathroom. The water shut off about five minutes ago, but maybe she's puttin' on make up or something? I don't know what girls do."

"Thanks," Leo mutters, turning to leave. Stabbing the pause button for a mere moment, Mikey advises, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," throwing his brother a cheeky grin before he returns to defeating the evil goombas. _'Mikey. You never know when he's listening,_' Leo says to himself as he heads to his room, planning to talk to her after her shower. He slips through the door and shuts it behind him quietly.

_Hehehehehehe…cliffy!!!! _XD

_I did that especially for you, you know. Alright, I psyched you all out, but I promise there will be some action in the next chapter. This time I mean it._

_That was fun, wasn't it? What a little fibber that Raphie is, he should get in big trouble! _

_Seriously, next time I'm going to give you guys more relevant stuff, I promise. That's all for now, so R&R! _

_Peace,_

_The Light Of Reason _


	2. It's Time to Talk

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Amazing Mutant Ninja Turtles. They belong to the lucky ducks at Mirage Studios. For now…_

_Okay, last chapter Mikey got his butt kicked by Rachel (for reasons of personal preference) and Leo got grilled by Donnie. Here's the continuation of Rachel's training session with the boys. I hope to keep updating steadily from now on, but we'll see. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I know that __**I**__ certainly enjoyed writing it… _:D

_That's right, it's the Leo/Rachel make out chapter. Yesssssssssss!!!!!!!_

_Ahem. Please review!!!!!!!!!!!_ :D

As Leo takes in the neatness of his room, his eyes widen before he claps his hands over them, blushing brilliantly at the sight of Rachel in only a pale blue bra and matching panties. She starts and says one of Raph's choice swearwords loudly and hurriedly tugs her jeans on over her wet legs, throwing a purple v-necked t-shirt over her head. _'Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! He just walked in on me when I was half naked, how awkward is that? Crap, now he won't even __**look**__ at me anymore!'_

In an attempt to clear the air, she clears her throat and laughs nervously, joking lightly, "You sure know how to make an entrance."

Leo stares at the floor, completely mortified, with a deep flush washed over his face and neck. He avoids looking up at her as if he'll die if he sees female skin ever again, fumbling behind him for the doorknob to make his great escape. The image of her perfectly toned body clad in those light blue underclothes is wedged into his mind, quite possibly for forever, makes him uncomfortable as he chances to look at her for a second. She's smiling uncertainly, and seizes his momentary inability to open the door as a window of opportunity, insisting, "It's okay, Leo, it was just an accident. Relax."

Leo nods in agreement to her take on the situation, but knows that the whole incident could have been avoided; he furrows his brow and asks, "What were you doing in my room?"

"I thought you would have realized what I was doing when you burst in on me when I was only partially clothed," she responds sarcastically, placing her hands on her hips. With slight annoyance implied in his tone, he specifies, "I mean why were you changing in my room instead of the bathroom?"

Looking at the floor, Rachel stammers bashfully, "I-I…um…I've never seen your room before, and I just wanted to look around and then I noticed how nice and clean it was and all the cool Japanese writing on the walls…" trailing off and chancing to look up at him. Sure enough, he has his strictly business, take-no-nonsense expression on his face, with eyes that scan every inch of her mind. Trying to save some face, she defends herself snappishly, "I didn't exactly plan on this happening, now did I? And how did you know I was in the shower?"

_'She just had to ask that question, didn't she?'_ Leo says to himself, and replies as smoothly as possible, "I needed to talk to you, so I asked Raph-"

"Well, now's as good a time as any to talk, isn't it? She interrupts with a gentler voice, sitting on the edge of his bed and patting the spot next to her. He sits down stiffly, his weight causing the mattress to sink slightly and slide Rachel closer to him. He stares intently at the air in front of his face to find the right words as she waits patiently for him to speak, rubbing her hair with a damp towel. Swallowing hard, he begins in an unfamiliar timid voice, "We've known each other for a long time, almost seven months…not like anyone's counting," he adds hastily. Courage spouting up in him, he continues, "And I've been keeping some feeling deep down for a while."

His eyes meet hers as she places the towel on the bed behind her and he seizes her momentarily free hands in his. His voice dropping several decibels, he murmurs, "You're an amazing person I mean you're so athletic and funny and devoted and beautiful, I just…I think you're really special. It's been hard because I'm not used to feeling like this, and I don't know how to react to all these feelings and-"

She pauses his babbling by pressing her fingers softly to his lips and insists, "Stop beating around the bush, Leo. You can tell me anything."

Instead of saying the anticipated words he catches her around the waist and kisses her strongly. She collapses against his lips and pulls him closer by taking hold of the leather katana strap stretched diagonally down his plastron. Pulling back quickly, he admits breathlessly, "I love you."

"I love you too, Leo," she murmurs, and lets him kiss her again, his fingers digging into her back as she tilts her head to the side, kissing him more fully with her mouth slightly open. Her smooth tongue glides over his lips and mingles timidly with his as his hands drift down her sides to hold her tighter. Hugging his neck she sinks into his body, letting out a stifled giggle when his fingers flit lazily across her sides. He releases her and looks at her strangely, trailing his fingers down her sides again. Rachel flinches and shrieks in laughter, pleading quietly, "Please don't do that."

Eyebrow cocking upward, Leo asks, "You're ticklish?"

"Very."

He seems to consider this new piece of information for a few moments, then a smirk makes the corner of his mouth twitch, an unfamiliar glint in his dark brown eyes. The candlelight bounces off of the uncommon expression on his face and Rachel tries to leap off of the bed in vain as Leo catches her about the waist, tickling her mercilessly.

"Leo!" She manages to gasp before she is consumed by the laughs wracking her chest. Delighted, quiet laughter sounds in the small room as she tries to slip out of his strong hold; however, she makes him cease the torture with a forceful jab from her elbow into the muscle of his thigh. He groans and mutters, "I should have seen that one coming," but only flutters his fingers once playfully on her sides after that.

He hugs her tightly from behind with his chin resting on her shoulder, his hot breath tingling on her hair obscured neck. Rachel shifts herself in his hold so she's sitting on his crossed legs in a comfortable position and smiles, reclining in her living chaise. She inhales the soft scent of incense and sandalwood sunken into his skin, closing her hand around his forearm and gliding it slowly down his smooth skin. Nudging her hair away from beneath his chin, Leo nuzzles her shoulder affectionately, opening his beak and pinching the skin gently between his lips. A shiver travelling down her spine makes her back arch and her breathing quickens as he presses delicate kisses to her bare shoulder. Unable to stand his teasing any more, she turns her head to catch his lips again, twisting around so she faces him fully. With a soft moan he pushes her backwards onto his bed, his hand moving slowly up the curve of her back. It scares him, to want someone so much. But he knows that if he stops, it will feel worse than if he doesn't.

Don pushes back his chair and runs his hands in circles over his face, sighing in frustration. The last person who called in for tech support nearly forced him to smash his head repeatedly onto his keyboard. _'If __**one more person**__ asks me if a computer mouse is an animal, I will kill myself.'_

He picks up his purple coffee mug and tilts it into his mouth only to realize…it's empty. Muttering to himself, Don heaves himself out of the computer chair, stretches his arms high above his head, and wanders out of his room, making a beeline for the kitchen. He only trips over one thing on his trek-a remote controlled race car- and makes a mental note to pick it up for some experimentation on his way back to his pathetic career. Right now, coffee is the main thing on the agenda.

Once in the kitchen, he snags the coffee maker and fills it up with lukewarm water, stifling a yawn as he places it back in its place. Opening the cupboard door above the machine, he rifles through some chip bags, cans and a box of pancake mix, only to find there's no coffee in there. Frowning, he checks the next cupboard. Then the next. Panicking, he throws open the fourth cupboard, searching frantically through its contents. Nothing! He takes a deep breath to calm himself, and scans the entire kitchen with his eyes, looking for his fix. It's nearly impossible not to break down when he realizes that there is no coffee and in despair he places his forehead on the counter loudly, on the brink of insanity. He stays in that position a few minutes before Mikey cheerfully enters the kitchen, humming the Turtle Titan theme song under his breath. At the sight of his brother he asks, "Uh, Donnie? Are you okay?"

"It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine," he replies into the linoleum counter top, his voice monotone. Only slightly weirded-out, Mikey offers happily, "Well, I guess I'll make you some coffee to cheer you up!"

Sighing, Don responds, "There _is_ none! That's why the world is ending."

"Sure there is, dude! Here's a bag of beans, right here!" Mikey insists, shaking the bag beside his brother's ear. Don's head snaps up and his eyes widen, his voice strained as he demands, "Where did you find that?"

"In the fruit bowl, next to the banana," Mikey replies, pointing to the dish that was right in front on Donatello the whole time. Chuckling at his brother, Mikey tosses him the bag, joking, "You were a bit melodramatic there, Donnie-boy!"

Don refuses to answer his brother, scooping the coffee into the grinder methodically and pressing the button. As he empties the contents into the filter, Mikey asks, "Hey, you know what bananas make me think of?"

"I don't want to know, Mike," Don cuts him off, clipping the bag of coffee beans shut with a clothespin and putting it back in its normal cupboard. Mikey is a little confused how Don knew what he was going to say but shrugs, pulling a can of soda from the refrigerator and returning to the couch.

Don pours himself a generous cup of coffee and takes it back to his room, taking the path around the chaos of the living area. Seeing Rachel's bag on the floor by Raph's foot, he suddenly notices her absence. If the bag is still there, then where is she? He looks around the lair, seeing only Mikey in the midst of an intense video game and Raph half asleep on the easy chair. Raph looks close enough to sleep to be cranky of Don disturbs him, so he ventures over to Mikey, waving his hand frantically in front of his brother's eyes until he regains the ability to blink. After killing three more koopas, Mikey whacks the pause button a little too enthusiastically and asks amiably, "What's up, Donnie? I see you got your fix."

Don offers his sympathies to the controller, knowing that in only a matter of time it will be back on his work bench, replying, "I was wondering if you've seen Rachel or Leo."

Mikey furrows his brow in deep concentration, spending upon the task that would take most seven seconds almost half a minute, recognition lighting up his face. Voice filled with pride at his accomplishment, he answers, "I remember Rachel going to change in a room, and Leo went to his own room to meditate or somethin'. A mischievous grin taking over his face, he asks, "Do you wanna smash some goomba tail?"

"Tempting, but no thanks," Don declines, his attention already zeroed in on the door to Leo's bedroom. He makes his way up the tall stairs and walks close by the door, listening for any sounds behind it and hearing none, which confuses him.

_'Wait, what am I even listening for? I mean, it's not like you can hear two people when they're…Gah! Bad thoughts, __**bad thoughts!**__'_

Don flushes crimson at the thought of his brother and Rachel entwined, shoving it unceremoniously from his mind and slamming the door shut on the notion. _'Never again,' _he promises himself, making it back to his own room and sanctuary in record time. He releases a tired sigh as he sits down and seeing the flashing incoming call button, he puts on his headset, pressing the button and greeting as cheerfully as possible, "IT Tech support; Don speaking." The person on the other end begins sobbing about her cheating husband who just left her, and he replies gently, "I'm sorry miss, but this is a support line for those having computer problems…no, no, no! I'm not trying to get rid of you…could I direct you to a help line…? No, I'm not calling you crazy, it's just that you're upset and this isn't my field of work…NO! The answer is _not_ ending your life! I-…could you please hold for a moment, miss? I will direct you immediately to a help hotline, alright?"

Raph discreetly opens one eye, seeing Mikey on the floor in front of the television and off in 'Mikey Land'. He has to strain to hear all the way to Don's room, and hearing him trying to help an obviously hysterical and suicidal customer, he slithers from the brown chair, taking care not to catch a certain orange cat's attention as he creeps in the shadows of his home. Once Klunk knows you're not busy, the feline is relentless, rubbing up against your legs, batting playfully at your ankles and staring up at you with those enormous watery green eyes. Admittedly it's cute, but one can only take numbness of the thighs from the cat's weight for so many hours before they become stir crazy.

"Crazy little furball," Raph mutters to himself and returns his focus to the mission. Ninja stealth kicking in, he sidles up to the door of Leo's bedroom. For only a moment he reconsiders his nosey action, then inhaling a decided breath he presses his ear to the door. Nothing. No rustling, no moans, no low, husky voices. Just…no sound at all. A little disappointed that he turned up with no dirt on Leo, he hears a muffled voice say softly, "What do you mean, you can't?"

Definitely Rachel; the voice is too high to be Leo's. He hears the wheeze of the old bed and some unintelligible dialogue, but the tone tells him it's Leo. Dashing to the table by the chair, Raph snatches up a glass and races back to the closed door. He fumbles with the glass, almost dropping it on the floor and assesses the situation. Raph smirks and shakes his head, saying to himself, "It ain't even noon, and I've already eavesdropped _twice_! I need a hobby…"

Placing the rim of the glass against the door, he presses his ear to the bottom of the glass and listens hard. A sigh comes from the other side of the door, and Leo pleads, "You have to understand. It's just that my life is very complicated, and I'm worried about what something like this could do to my family."

"Sheesh, Leo! You make it sound like I was trying to have sex with you or something," Rachel exclaims, her voice escalating in volume. Leo hushes her and insists, "I didn't say you did-"

"I _know_ you didn't! I'm just saying that's how you made it sound," Rachel defends, then adds almost as an after thought, "I should have seduced you when I had the chance and avoided this whole conversation."

Ignoring her joke because he's unsure if she's being serious, he apologizes as he reaches for her hand, "Rachel, look, I'm sorry that I can't have that kind of relationship, but it's just too early! Who's going to look after my family?"

She growls and snatches her hand away from him, standing up furiously. "Just stop it, Leo! Your brothers are grown up; they don't constantly need your help or protection. Don't use your family as an excuse and step up to the plate; take responsibility for your feelings and your problem with this relationship," she snaps, backing away from his attempts to make her sit and listen. _'Not today, Leo.'_

"I don't _have _a problem with this relationship, Rachel!" he replies resolutely, massaging his forehead with the fingers of one hand and taking in a deep, calming breath. Throwing her hands in the air, she shouts, "First you tell me that you love me and kiss me, _then _you pull away and practically accuse me of trying to rape you -!"

_"_I did _not_ accuse you of trying to rape me! _I told you I loved you; I didn't say that loving you didn't scare me!"_ Leo bellows for the first time during the whole argument, leaping up off of the bed. Rachel's eyes fill with curiosity at this new piece of information, surprised at his response. She tilts her head to the side and asks, "Why would you be afraid of me?"

"Yeah," Raph breathes in agreement on the other side of the door, still listening in on the heated discussion. He hears another loud sigh from Leo, and in a voice betraying no emotion, Leo admits, "It worries me that I want you to be with me all the time, and that I want you so badly. What is this going to do to me, my judgment? What if I get careless and suddenly…everything I've ever cared about is gone? The Foot and Bishop are still out there; what if they used you to get to me?"

"Leo, that won't happen-"

"You don't know that," he contradicts quickly, reminding her, "They tried to use Vanessa to get to Raph once. I wouldn't put anything past them."

Giving him a smile that looks more like a grimace, Rachel replies softly, "They sure got a nasty surprise, didn't they? And it won't be a problem once I'm properly trained. You may not believe it, but I can handle myself, Leo."

Leo's eyes are on her, no expression in them, and he finally lets out a gush of air, muttering, "Don't I know that." He looks a little sad as his eyes fall to the floor and she comes in close to him, murmuring, "That doesn't mean I don't need you, though. We wouldn't be able to survive without you. You know that, don't you?"

"It doesn't feel like it anymore," he admits, flopping down onto his bed. Her expression is subdued and compassionate as she crouches down in front of him, forcing him to look into her eyes. Her voice serious, she says, "Leo, you don't have any clue how much we all care about you, do you?" She barks out a laugh, not because it's a funny joke, but because he's so oblivious to how great he is. Looking him deeply in the eyes, she says, "Listen to me, Leo. You are the strongest, most courageous and selfless pers-…being I have ever met, all of which are big reasons why I love you. You hardly ever jump to conclusions or judge people before you know them, and give everyone an equal chance. Your family is so lucky and grateful to have someone like to help keep them together, and have been saved time and time again by not only your strength and precaution, but also by your consciousness of their feelings and well-being. You are so considerate of everyone, and I love that about you."

_'Give 'im a big head, why don't ya,'_ Raph says to himself, but can't help agreeing. _'Leo has saved our lives hundreds of times, even though he's a pain in the ass.'_

"I love you, I'm absolutely _crazy _about you, and every morning I wake up the first thing I think about is you. You're on my mind practically all the time, and I'm amazed by how incredible you are. You are nothing but a gentleman to me and you listen so well; another reason I love you. You are one of the most valuable things in my life right now, and I'm not sure if I could be who I am today if you hadn't found me." She smiles up at him innocently, and asks, "Did I mention that I love you?"

With such a sweet expression on her face he can't help but chuckle at her, joking, "It may have slipped out." She laughs too, then murmurs gently, "You _do _know that I meant all of that, right?"

He nods, replying, "I wouldn't doubt you." Relief washes over her and she whispers decidedly, "Good," glad that his attitude is considerably better. They sit in a comfortable silence for a few moments before Rachel asks, "So, why would you ever think that you're not good enough, Leo?"

The look on his face shows that he really doesn't want to talk about this. Rachel scooches in a little closer, sitting on the bed with her legs resting on him and brushes her lips over his for a second, breathing, "Tell me. Please."

_'That was uncalled for!'_ Leo internally protests. He was so close to ending the conversation; however, when she wants something, nothing will stop her. Swallowing, Leo answers, "Well…my brothers have been pushing me away and hardly ever want my company anymore. They don't understand that I'm being responsible for them and that if I don't, something could happen. We almost lost Raph and Mikey and even Don once; heck, Master Splinter was gone for almost a month. I've had too many close calls; they need me. Or, at least they _did_." He scratches the back of his head and allows, "I guess they don't need me as much anymore, do they?"

Smiling at him, Rachel sympathizes, "It's hard to let go of someone you've practically raised. But don't think just because they're grown up that they don't need you at all. I promise that they won't leave if you let go."

A smile spreads over his face; the smile of acceptance. She grins and teases, "You have quite the high expectations for yourself!" His brow furrows as he mulls over her comment and wonders if maybe she's right. '_I have to have high expectations, I can't fail my Master or my brothers; I can't fail my family again.' _

This whole discussion has given him a slight headache, and wanting to let the subject drop he assures Rachel with a smile, "Alright, I'll lay off of them for a while. I'm sure they can handle themselves; and if not, Vanessa, Samantha and Lily will handle them for me."

They both laugh heartily, and Leo says in a low voice, "Speaking of which…" unexpectedly pulling Rachel into another kiss. This one is different, smoldering and boiling slowly, unlike the first that was like gasoline to an open flame: On a fast and furious seek and destroy mission. Raph shakes his head at his brother on the other side of the door, baffled by their sweet to nuclear to burning relationship and smirks, sneaking stealthily back to his chair. Mikey looks up at his brother and asks curiously, "Where were _you_?"

Grabbing the back of Mikey's head and shoving it downward, Raph replies, "Mind your own business, dweeb," but smiles at his brother's disgruntled pout. Eyes narrowed, he protests, "I'm not a dweeb!...I'm eccentric. There's a _big_ difference."

Raph can't keep in a laugh, and Don's expression is completely bemused as he comes down the stairs. "What's so funny?"

"Mikey," Raph answers and plops down on the couch, giving his little brother a noogie. "Hey! _Raph!_" Mikey protests loudly, trying to unlock Raph's arm from around his neck. From behind them, they hear Rachel say, "Be nice to Mikey, Raph."

Raph shrugs and releases his brother, looking at Leo who's beside Rachel. He doesn't look any different, except maybe the slightly softer look around his eyes. _'Hm, looks like she got to the Fearless Leader. Nice work.'_ A grin spreading over his face, Mikey asks mischievously, "What were _you_ two kids doing?"

"Nothing," Rachel replies smoothly, though Leo flushes faintly and practically gives away everything; however, Rachel kisses his cheek and says, "I've got to run," grabbing her bag from its place by the arm chair. Desperate for something to hold over Leo, Mikey demands, "What happened?" completely ignoring Leo's infamous glare. Rachel's smile is coy as she looks back over her shoulder on the way out and replies, "I got what I wanted." She steps into the elevator and sends Leo a wink, the door closing on her figure. The moment there is only a mere crack in the door, Mikey pounces on Leo, asking questions at a mile a minute.

"Seriously dude, what happened? Did you make-out? What was it like? Was she naked? Did you go all the way around the bases-?"

"_Mikey!_" Leo scolds, clapping a firm hand over his mouth to cut of his chatter. Now that his arm is stretched out fully, Raph receives a clearer view of Leo's neck. A grin spreads across his face and he nudges Don, pointing it out. Don tilts his head and squints to see better, a smirk making its way over his mouth as well. Confused and a bit self conscious, Leo wonders, "What are _you_ looking at?"

"Is that a hickey, Leo?" Raph counters, poking the air in the direction of his neck. Eyes wide, Leo's arm retracts from Mikey's mouth and covers his neck, a furious blush over his face. Unable to contain his amusement, Don asks, "She liked what she heard, did she?"

_"Be quiet, Don,"_ Leo warns dangerously, the look in his eye having the desired effect as Don flinches almost unnoticeably. Suddenly, Mikey yanks his brother's three fingered hand from his neck and examines it closely, whistling shrilly as he remarks, "That is quite the sucker; probably won't fade for _days_!"

A look of alarm takes over Leo's face and his stomach drops. _'What is Master Splinter going to say?!'_

_Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!_ XD

_That was way too much fun to write!_ _Poor Leo, I'm so mean to the sweetheart. Oh well, he had it coming._

_So…on to what's coming up next. The next part shall have purpose and action meaning: This is where the evil comes in! Dun Dun DUUUUUUUUUN!!!!!!!!_

_Frightening, huh? I won't spoil any of it, so you may have to be very patient as my school year wraps up and I find a job. Thanks for reading, and please review. Have an awesome day!!!!_ :D

_The Light of Reason _


	3. A Dangerous Encounter

_Disclaimer: Totally don't own the Ninja Turtles, so don't sue me, 'kay?_

_About the last chapter…heh heh, funny outcome, huh? Poor, poor Leo. _XD

_I actually feel bad for the guy;_ _I'm so mean. Anyway, this chapter will reveal the plot of evilness!!!! _:O

_Hope you enjoy it!!!!_

As he walks down the long corridor to his Master's headquarters, the ninja has to wonder, _'Why me? Why do I have to deliver the news to him?'_ He's shaking in his boots, but manages to open the large wooden doors leading to the richly decorated throne room. The ninja pads softly down the length of the room, silently praying that his Master is in a good mood. When he glances up, he sees that his Master is sitting on his large chair, his gauntlet underneath his casually poised hand. Swallowing hard, the servant bows.

"Well?" his Master urges with one eyebrow raised expectantly. The ninja takes a moment to find his voice and replies, "We have followed the girls very closely, but have had no sight of the turtles. They have been very careful to cover their tracks, and-"

_"I do not want excuses!"_ his Master thunders, but composing himself, he asks, "Do you have any good news for me?" fingering the weapon beneath his hand. Eyes trained on the floor, the ninja replies, "We have discovered that the four girls will be out together tonight, and have no plans to meet up with your enemies."

His lips curl into a sinister smirk as he stands and says, "Isn't that a pity. Gather all the ninja you can. We will give the ladies a little message for the turtles."

The ninja bows and backs quickly from the room, closing the doors soundly behind him in relief. Oroku Saki picks up his sharp gauntlet and runs his fingers along it, murmuring, "It won't be long now."

"Nothing like a Ryan Reynolds movie to get you in the mood," Sam sighs, making the other girls laugh. Jumping over a pile of broken glass on the sidewalk, Vanessa agrees, "Definitely."

"Unless, of course, it's a movie featuring Ryan Reynolds without a shirt on," Rachel corrects with a grin on her face. Lily tilts back her head and releases a peal of laughter into the dark blue sky, beging, "Please don't torture me like that, Rachel!"

Ruffling Lily's hair, Rachel asks, "Does that make you sweat?"

"I won't answer that question," Lily replies, closing the subject off. Sam moves to the very edge of the sidewalk, holding her arms out for balance as she tries to walk in a perfectly straight line. Eyes on her feet, she asks, "Are we almost there?"

"Almost," Lily answers, hearing loud sirens blaring in the distance. Quickly, she sends a silent _"Be careful,"_ to Don who is no doubt close to the scene. She looks over at Rachel who seems to be thinking something similar, and smiles reassuringly at her, earning a smile back. Rooting through the pocket of her bright blue ski jacket, Sam wonders, "Are your parents out tonight or something? Is that why you have to go pick up Grace?"

Lily is caught completely off guard, and floundering for an excuse, she manages to stammer, "Oh, y-yeah. They're out and she needs to be picked up at ten."

"How old is Grace anyway?" Rachel asks curiously, shivering as another strong breeze whips through her thin sweater. Relieved to be past the awkward subject of her parents, Lily says, "Thirteen. She'll be fourteen in a few months, though."

"Really?" Sam asks as she finally pulls the object of her search out of her pocket: a packet of Tic Tacs. Flicking open the container with her thumb nail and popping a mint into her mouth, she continues, "The one time I saw her, she looked hardly twelve."

"You haven't seen her in almost five months. You'd be surprised how fast kids grow up," Lily warns, holding out an open palm for a Tic Tac. _"No way,"_ Sam refuses, moving the container out of her reach juvenilely. "You are _not_ having one of my Tic Tacs."

"Please?" Lily pleads, and Rachel adds, "Don't be a baby, Sam," batting her in the back of the head. Laughing, Sam allows, "Alright, alright: I'll let you have a Tic Tac _if_ you answer this one question truthfully."

"Deal," Lily answers, not knowing just what she's getting herself into. A mischievous smile on her face, Sam asks, "Who _really_ messed up Don's computer last month? I don't think that it was Leo."

"Nooo," Lily groans, clapping a hand over her face in embarrassment. Releasing a frosty breath into the cold air, she admits, "It was me. I wanted to spend more time with him and his computer was a…distraction."

"Aha! I _knew_ it!" Sam crows triumphantly, and Vanessa cackles loudly, asking, "How would ruining his computer keep him from being distracted? Wouldn't that distract him even _more_?"

Picking up an empty soda can from the sidewalk and tossing it into a nearby bin, Lily replies sheepishly, "He called me at one point asking for help, and I came down and fixed it in a few minutes. The only one in the lair was Splinter and we got to talking. The door was closed, and…well…"

"You evil little minx! I thought you used your powers for good!" Rachel exclaims, her voice a mix between surprise, disgust and respect all at once. Seeing Lily's trick differently, Sam applauds, "Nice work! You have a devious mind."

Another cloud of frosty breath escapes her mouth as she laughs, and Lily says graciously, "Why, thank you," curtsying to her audience. Vanessa laughs loudly, and Sam opens the Tic Tac dispenser, shaking two mints into Lily's waiting hand.

"You deserve the whole box, but this is my last pack," Sam apologizes as they draw up to an apartment complex. Turning into the walkway, Lily calls over her shoulder, "This is it," climbing up the steps. Once inside, they go up two flights of stairs and stop halfway down a bright hallway in front of a door with a welcome mat featuring cute striped kittens at their feet. Lily taps on the door, and it is opened a couple moments later by a middle aged woman with short, dark hair and large green earrings dangling from her ears. Her lips spread into a warm smile and her earrings bob as she welcomes Lily warmly. "It's so nice to see you, Lily. All of you can just step inside for a moment while I go find Grace."

She turns and walks down the hallway, "Calling, "Grace! Lily's here to pick you up!"

There is a thumping of feet, followed by two teens, a blond and a brunette, coming down the carpeted hall. The brunette girl is short, her long, curly brown hair framing her tan face. The other girl is tall and practically a clone of Lily, her wavy blond hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, her bright green eyes twinkling on her pale face as she laughs at whatever her friend just said. When Grace sees that Vanessa, Rachel and Sam are with her sister, her face lights up and she runs down the hall, enveloping the three girls in a hug as she exclaims, "Hey guys!"

Smiling widely she pulls away and turns to her friend to give her a squeeze, Grace is completely oblivious to the surprise on the faces of her sister's friends as they take in her now mature figure. Leaning in close to Lily's ear, Sam mutters, "You weren't kidding when you said kids grow up fast."

"Thanks for having me over, Amy," Grace thanks her friend sincerely, pulling on her green jacket. "No problem," Amy answers, and says eagerly, "See you on Monday!"

"Bye!" Graces calls with a wave over the shoulder, and she bounds into the hallway talking a mile a minute. They descend the stairs with only Grace's incessant chatter and a remark from Lily once in a while, and once they reach the end of the pathway leading up to the apartment building, Sam blurts, "What happened to you? The last time I saw you, you were below my waist and boob-less!"

"Way to be subtle," Vanessa breathes sarcastically, and seeing the confusion and surprise on Grace's face, Rachel says, "What Sam means is you look so much older than the last time we saw you."

"Oh," Grace giggles and flushes a little with pride, explaining, "I've been doing some pretty heavy exercise lately, what with volleyball and indoor soccer practice at school, and I've grown four inches since summer. It's been a while since I've seen you guys, hasn't it?"

"Too long," Vanessa assures her, smiling brilliantly at the young girl. She knows what it's like to be the small one that everyone thinks is young and weak, having been little all her life, and she can see just how strong and well rounded Grace is. Grace smiles shyly back, and asks, "So, where are we going?"

"You and I are going home," Lily answers offhandedly, and Grace's expression falls, disappointment clouding her eyes. "But that's not fair! I want to hang out with Sam, Rachel and Vanessa!"

"Yesssssssssss! We're the cool older kids!" Rachel cheers, high fiving Sam who punches her fist into the air. Baffled at Lily's firm resolve against those pleading green eyes, Vanessa demands, "How can you deny that face, Lily? Are you heartless?"

"No, I'm soulless," Lily contradicts sarcastically, ruffling Grace's hair. Grace moves away from her sister's touch, folding her arms over her chest in reluctant defeat. Everything is peaceful for a few welcome seconds, until Sam suggests they sing a song.

_"No,"_ Vanessa refuses hostilely, giving her a hard look. Hearing the authority in Vanessa's voice, Sam does what any sane person would do. She moves out of Vanessa's reach so she can't hit her, takes in a deep breath and belts out 'Let It Rock' at the top of her lungs. Grace giggles at Sam's shameless display, and Vanessa groans, begging, "Don't sing that!"

Sam persists singing loudly, and Vanessa clenches her fists to keep her annoyance controlled, about to give Sam an earful when some premonition kicks in. Without any warning, she lunges forward and shoves Lily to the ground, an arrow planting itself in the wall where Lily's head was a second before.

"Sorry, Lily," Vanessa apologizes, quickly getting to her feet and positioning herself in front of Lily who is still on the ground. Her eyes sweep from one end of the small alley they took as a shortcut to the other, her heart thudding loudly in her chest. A nearly inaudible whoosh alerts her to a presence, and she snatches the lid off the nearest garbage can, reflecting a barrage of shuriken. Voice low and stony, Vanessa murmurs, "Get ready, ladies. We aren't alone."

On cue, a horde of ninja leap into the alley from the roof of the large brick buildings on either side of them, landing soundlessly on the concrete. The dingy light from the streetlamp at the opposite end of the alley glints off of their weapons as they hold them up offensively. Backing up slightly with her hands held at the ready, Sam mutters, "Where are the boys when you need them?"

Protectively shielding a surprised Grace, Lily says, "It looks like we'll have to do this one on our own."

Like clockwork, four ninja lunge forward with their weapons poised to attack. They are knocked back not a second later by Vanessa's perfectly aimed spin kick, her hair whipping out as she turns. A gush of air escapes Sam's lips as she does a back flip, kicking a ninja in the face as her legs come through on her landing. A clash ensues, the seemingly endless moving wave of black attacking the five girls in the dark alleyway. It's a surprise that no one hears the struggle in the silence of the cold night, the ringing of metal and the sound of bodies hitting the pavement sounding loud in their ears. Sam dodges every blow that comes at her, until a naïve ninja tries to pin her against the wall. Grabbing his tunic, she throws him into two others and grins, calling to Rachel, "This never gets old, does it?"

"Nope," Rachel replies, grunting as she kicks a ninja in the chest and picks up his fallen sword in time to block a katana coming at her.

"Speak for yourselves," Lily replies, blocking a blow with her forearm, fighting more savagely than she has ever fought in her life thanks to her ferocious paternal instincts. Grace doesn't want to watch her sister fight in such a frightening way, but can't help staring at her usually gentle sister as she punches an attacker in the jaw, kicking another hard in the shin before she knocks his feet out from under him with a sweep of her leg. She's never known her sister to be so violent, and as much as it frightens her, it's also very exciting.

"Remind me not to get on her bad side," Grace whispers to herself, cringing at the cracking of a ninja's shoulder from her sister's strike.

Vanessa's breath comes in and out harshly as she wonders aloud, "How many of these guys _are_ there?" knocking another ninja's weapon from its hands. She jumps lithely and gives him a round house kick to the face, watching him drop with satisfaction. Even more fatigued, Lily puffs, "Hopefully not many more," smacking a ninja in the face with a bo-staff borrowed from the ninja now against the wall.

Sam looks around the semi circle of masked faces surrounding her, and an idea pops into her head. Turning, she bellows, "Give me the stick, Lily!"

"It's a bo-staff!" Lily corrects as she tosses it to her, the weapon landing in Sam's eager hands. Taking a running start, Sam jumps up and grabs the bar of a fire escape, swinging herself forward into a tuck roll over the crowd of ninja before landing. With one swooping motion, Sam brings the bo-staff back around behind herself, knocking over five of her attackers. She turns around and grins, bragging, "Not too shabby, eh?"

Smiling back, Vanessa applauds, "Nice-look out!"

Sam moves just in time to miss a sword aimed at her side and holds up her weapon swiftly, deflecting another attack. Lily is losing her battle, and is knocked backward, scraping her arm on her landing. She looks up fearfully as she sees the ninja come toward Grace, and screams, "No!"

Grace backs up and clenches her eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable impact. Instead, she hears a few muffled grunts and thuds. She peeks open one eye and they both pop open when she realizes that Rachel just knocked out four of the ninja and injured another, working on the sixth with her katana. She sends its weapon flying and kicks him into a dumpster when suddenly she hears a soft thud, followed by searing pain in her thigh. As a reflex, her hand clamps over the sore spot and she feels something sharp and metal dig into her palm. She looks down to see a shuriken implanted deeply in her leg. A hiss escapes through her clenched teeth as her vision goes fuzzy and she staggers backward faintly, her back hitting against the cold brick wall.

"Rachel!" Vanessa screams as she sees her stumble into the wall, her heart thudding loudly in her ears. She narrows her eyes and throws her attacker off of her, cutting another's calf with her sword as she races to Rachel. Sam glances over in time to see Rachel fall back and hears Vanessa's scream, her own throat too tight to make a sound and her body immobilized. It's only when she feels a gloved fist connect with her cheek that she snaps out of her paralysis, just barely avoiding a kick to the stomach. From behind, a ninja smacks the back of her leg, sending her forward to the waiting arms of another. His arms wrap around her tightly, and she can hardly breathe as she wriggles to free herself. Sam believes that it's all over for her, but is unexpectedly released. She sees that her capturer lying on the ground and Lily, her rescuer, looks at the cuts on her cheek and forehead, asking, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Sam puffs, before kicking an oncoming ninja in the face. Near Rachel, Vanessa is fighting off ninja more aggressively than ever, and when there is the slightest pause in the assault, she turns to Rachel and whispers reassuringly, "We're going to get you out of here. Do you think you can run?"

"Y-yes," Rachel stammers bravely, but as she tries to put pressure on her injured leg, her face twists up and she whimpers. Vanessa rolls her eyes, insisting, "Don't be a hero. I'll help you, alright?"

Rachel nods in consent, and Vanessa slings Rachel's arm over her shoulder, practically dragging her toward Lily, Sam and Grace. As she gets within hearing range, she instructs over the din, "Get ready, guys."

"For wha-?" Lily is cut off as Vanessa lances a smoke pellet at the ground, scooping up Rachel in her arms and running down the alley. Following her lead, Lily orders, "Sam, Grace, _run_!" giving them a light push to get them going. They burst from the cloud of smoke and sprint down the nearest street, not daring to look at the armada no doubt behind them. The street's emptiness only reminds them of how cold it is, but they ignore the aching of their lungs as they pound down the sidewalk, following Vanessa closely. Ducking into a familiar alley, Vanessa places Rachel back on solid ground, prying the manhole cover off with the least amount of scraping possible. The other three arrive panting, and Vanessa urges, "You first Sam."

Sam climbs down quickly and calls up, "You next, Grace."

Grace looks utterly confused and disgusted, but considering the circumstances, she climbs down gingerly. Being careful, Rachel climbs down the ladder, tears stinging her eyes every time she moves her wounded leg. Lily then slips through the hole, followed finally by Vanessa who takes one last cautious look around the alley before pulling the lid across the opening.

_Oh noes!!!! _D:

_Rachel's hurt, Vanessa's worried, Lily's being over protective, Grace is confused, and Sam has hardly any TicTacs left!_

_So…yeah that chapter was pretty epic, wasn't it? I thought so. Alright, this is to get our evil plot off of the ground to make this a bit more interesting, so hold tight until the next chapter, okay? It's in the works. _

_Some message from Shredder, huh? Bad, bad, BAD squishy alien thingy! Thankfully, the boys and Master Splinter have given them some schooling, so they didn't die in the first five seconds! _:D

_Thanks for reading, and please review! I need them to LIIIIIIIVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEE!_

_The Light of Reason_


	4. Fear

_Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT. They belong to the fantabulousness that is Mirage studios. However, I do own Sam, Lily, Rachel, Vanessa, and in for a guest appearance, Grace! Please don't borrow them without permission. _:)

_Bwehehehehe…I left you hanging last chapter a bit, didn't I? Well, to catch you up, the girls are running for their lives, Rachel is injured, Grace has no idea what is going on, and everyone is pretty stressed (I take pleasure in the suffering of others) _;)

_That's about it. I hope you enjoy this, and please review! Read on!_

"We're almost there," Vanessa assures Rachel for the hundredth time in five minutes. Rachel nods through a grimace, her pained breath and the soggy sound of their feet echoing in the tunnels. They twist and turn in the maze that is the sewers, both Vanessa and Lily supporting either side of Rachel like a human throne as they jog briskly. Grace has been silent the whole trip, but has so many questions crammed tightly into her head ready to explode at any moment. Unable to contain herself any longer, she erupts, "What just happened, Lily? Who were those guys that attacked us? _Why_ did they attack us? Where did you learn how to fight? _Where are we going?"_

Trying to pacify her sister, Lily replies gently between labored breaths, "Never mind, Grace, it's not important-"

"It's _very_ important!"Grace insists loudly, her voice bouncing angrily about the tunnels. Her voice becoming softer and a little calmer, she maintains stubbornly, "I want to know."

Lily releases a fatigued sigh and compromises. "I promise that I'll explain everything after we get Rachel fixed up. Okay?"

Grace doesn't say anything, but Lily takes her silence as an answer. They soon come face to face with a wall at the end of the tunnel that has a path leading right, and another leading left. Instead of turning, they stop at the end, and Grace is puzzled when Sam steps forward, pushing in a tarnished pipe on the wall. With sure hands, she shifts another upward, and turns the middle pipe, pulling it outward. To Grace's amazement, the brick pulls apart to reveal a large room on the other side. Vanessa and Lily burst into the room, Vanessa calling, "Raph, Leo, Master Splinter, Don, Mikey!"

Raph and Leo exit the dojo, Mikey hopping off of the couch to see the sudden arrivals. Leo's eyes widen and he demands, "What happened?!"

"Foot ninja," Lily replies as she and Vanessa carefully take Rachel down the stairs. Shifting Rachel slightly in her hold, Vanessa asks, "Where's Don? We need his help."

"He went ta see Leatherhead," Raph answers, and Leo rushes forward, hovering over Vanessa and Lily with Rachel in their arms like a worried mother hen. They lay her down on the couch and Rachel hisses through her teeth, covering her thigh with her cut hand. Vanessa moves Rachel's hand away to reveal the shuriken implanted in her leg, earning a few horrified gasps. Raph says quietly, "I'll go call 'im," slinking off to the phone. Rachel puts her hand back on he injury and Lily chides, "Don't do that. It could make it go in deeper."

"But I can't stand looking at it," Rachel complains, closing her eyes as she lifts her hand to emphasize her point. Raph returns to the group by the couch and mumbles, "He said he'll be here in ten minutes, tops."

Sighing, Vanessa brushes a strand of hair from her face, murmuring, "What are we going to do?"

"There's nothing we _can _do until Don comes back. We'll just have to wait for him," Leo replies quietly, his impatience well masked. _'How could I let this happen? Everything was going fine, and the second I let my guard down, __**this **__happens.' _Leo runs a hand over his face, beating himself up internally in his worry. Rachel tilts her head back to see him, his troubled face upside down. She smiles and insists, "Don't worry about me, I'm fine. Don will patch me up in no time."

He doesn't answer, and she tries to move to see him in better perspective, gasping as she shifts onto her injured leg. Instead of being soothed, Leo is even more concerned, glancing anxiously to the entrance of the lair. _'Not one of my more brilliant ideas,_' Rachel says to herself, blowing a hair from her eyes.

Sam can merely stand helplessly behind the couch holding Rachel's hand as she takes in the scene. It's so strange to be comforting Rachel, the one who usually comforts others. Seeing Rachel in pain is too much for her, and something from deep inside of Sam boils to the surface. _'We can't wait for Don to get here. I have to do it.' _

She sets her face in determination and says, "I'll do it."

She takes Leo's hand abruptly and closes it around Rachel's, marching around to the front of the couch. Sam kneels down to check out Rachel's wound, and after a quick examination she turns to Mikey, instructing, "I need tweezers, bandages, scissors, ointment, two bowls of warm water, soap, medical tape, two cloths, two towels and a knife or a scalpel."

Everyone in the room simply stares at her for a moment in surprise at her authority, until she stresses, "_Now, _Mikey!"

"Yes ma'am," he answers, impressed by her taking charge. He runs off quickly with Raph and Lily following closely to get her supplies. Satisfied with the reaction, Sam looks toward Vanessa and orders, "Go see Master Splinter. Tell him everything that happened."

Vanessa nods and hurries off to the secluded alcove of the rat, slipping quietly through the door. Pushing Rachel's bangs off of her forehead, Sam soothes, "It's going to be okay. I've taken a lot of first aid, and my Dad's a doctor. I've gone with him for practically every 'Take Your Kid to Work Day' since grade six."

"I trust you," Rachel answers sincerely, and she smiles tiredly at her surgeon. Sam is scared as anything behind her brave expression, and she wonders quietly if she can really do it, pushing her doubts aside as the troupes return with her supplies. Sam first arranges them around herself efficiently, and then she methodically washes her hands in one of the bowls of water, using an excessive amount of soap. After drying her hands, she turns back to Rachel with the second towel and places it under her leg to keep the couch clean. She releases a big gush of air, murmuring reassuringly to herself, "Okay. I can do this."

Taking the scissors, Sam pulls back the jean fabric around the shuriken, sliding her scissors into the large tear in Rachel's pants and cutting most of the pant leg off. Then, she picks up the tweezers beside her hand and her heart begins to drum faster than it ever has in her chest. "This is it," she whispers as her hand quivers a bit with nerves. At that very moment, Don bursts into the lair, panting, "Sorry I'm late, I ran back here as fast as I could. I would have been here sooner but there were some reparations in the Eastern tunnel so I had to go the long way."

Sam's shoulders relax in relief, and she calls, "I need your help with this, Don!"

Curious, he walks over, dropping his bag on the way over to the crowded couch. His eyes widen as he sees Rachel's leg and he breathes, "Oh boy," crouching down next to Sam. He moves the skin around Rachel's injury as he studies it, and he asks, "What do you need me to do?"

"First things first, Don: wash your hands. We don't need any infection, now do we?" Sam teases to try and lighten the mood, pointing to the bowl with soap bubbles floating on the surface. He washes his hands then turns back to Sam, who asks, "Can you pull the skin around it apart so I can take out the shuriken?"

"Got it," he answers, and he places his thumbs on both sides of the wound, slowly pulling the flesh apart from the metal star. Sam closes the tweezers on the shuriken and tries to pull it as carefully as possible from Rachel's leg. Rachel gasps and accidentally clenches the hand holding Leo's, who only flinches a bit at the sudden pressure. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" she exclaims, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb apologetically.

"It's alright," he replies softly, touching her forehead with his free hand. Sam looks at the shuriken in Rachel's leg again, sighing as she realizes that they'll have to change tactics. Putting the tweezers down, she says to Don, "We'll have to cut away the flesh around it so we can take it out."

Rachel nods solemnly, knowing that the end is justified by the means. Sam lifts the knife and hands it to Don, who very cleanly slices the flesh around the shuriken. Rachel presses her lips together to hold in her agony and tries not to squeeze Leo's hand again, closing her eyes tightly. Sam closes the tweezers on the shuriken again and pulls it steadily from Rachel's leg. Once the metal is completely removed from her leg, the blood begins to seep from the wound. Sam hands the shuriken to Don, suggesting, "You should analyze this to see if there are any traces of poison."

"I'll be back in a flash," Don answers, taking the shuriken with him to his lab. Sam wets one of the face cloths in the clean bowl of water and wrings it out, pressing it hard to Rachel's leg.

"Just sit tight," Sam murmurs, keeping constant pressure on the wound. The group waits in tense silence, Sam tending to Rachel. Her hands tremble as Don emerges from his lab about ten fifteen minutes later with a sheet fresh from the printer in his hands.

"Well?" Rachel prompts, frightened she knows the answer. Don glances up from the paper in front of him and scans the serious faces before him, leaving them in an edgy mindset until his face relaxes and he says, "There was no poison. She's going to be fine."

Leo closes his eyes for a second and releases his breath for what seems to be the first time since Rachel was carried into the lair, squeezing Rachel's hand. Sam smiles a bit and lifts the cloth from Rachel's leg to look at her injury, reporting to Don, "It seems the blood has slowed down. I'll clean and dress it, and Rachel will be as good as new as long as she stays off of it for the night. We'll check it in the morning. Can you please get me the antiseptic, Don?"

"Sure," he replies and heads back into his lab to fetch it, coming out a moment later. Sam grabs the second facecloth from its place and wads it up, holding it under Rachel's wound. Sam takes the bottle of antiseptic from Don's hand and pops off the top, telling Rachel, "I could lie and say this will sting a little, but I'm sure it will hurt like hell."

She pours the liquid into the gash and Rachel hisses loudly. She clenches her eyes closed as the burning continues, saying sarcastically, "Thanks for being honest."

Sam smiles back grimly, dabbing the sterilized injury with a towel lightly. She then measures a length of bandage to cover Rachel's wound, spreads an ointment over the injury and covers it with the large white bandage. She secures the white patch with tape, and giving Rachel's leg an affectionate pat, she says, "You're good to go."

Sam then gets to her feet and moves out of the way so the spectators can crowd around Rachel to give her reassurances and hugs. She has to smile and idly glances about the lair, suddenly noticing that Grace is standing at the bottom of the stairs leading toward the living area. Grace's expression is neutral but her arms are crossed offensively, the teen waiting expectantly for an explanation. Raph follows Sam's gaze to see the tall, slender blond teenager, and he demands bluntly, "Who's she?"

Lily turns to her obviously upset sister and sighs, muttering, "I have a lot of explaining to do."

Don is surprised to not only see Grace, but also to see her looking so much older and more grown up.  
He turns his eyes to Lily who gives him a smile more like a grimace, and Lily answers Raph's question honestly, "This is Grace, my sister."

Grace stares intently at her big sister, not prepared to budge until she gets some truthful answers. Moving over to the turtle in violet, Lily admits, "Grace, I've been keeping something from you for the past few months."

_'That much is obvious,'_ Grace says to herself sarcastically, but she allows Lily to continue her confession, if only out of curiosity. Placing her hand gently on Don's arm, she says, "Grace, this is Don. The other three are his brothers: Mikey, Raph and Leo."

Grace's eyes widen for a second in recognition to the names, yet she remains cool and collected, taking this new information in. Lily receives a look of assurance from Don, giving her the courage to proceed, "These four have quite the story. It all started about eighteen years ago…"

As Lily recounts the four brothers' past, Grace keeps her emotions and questions in check, nodding occasionally in appropriate places. At some point during the story, each brother picks up the tale and continues smoothly, relaying everything that has happened in their lives, including their origin, their training, their enemies, and the roller coaster ride they've been on for the past few years. Finally, Lily concludes, "That's why the Foot attacked us. They wanted to get to this family and force them to seek revenge. They probably have a trap set up right now, and they're just waiting for us to take the bait."

Lily runs her hand absentmindedly down Don's arm, waiting for Grace's verdict. She observes them all for a long moment in curiosity and interest as they anticipate her reaction, and then moves guardedly toward the couch. Breathing out loudly through her nose, she drops her arms to the side and asks almost exasperatedly, "Is there anything else?"

"Rachel!" Vanessa cries gleefully, rushing from a room barricaded by a sliding door to the couch and pouncing on the victim upon it. She is closely followed by an _enormous rat._ Grace's jaw drops slightly, and seeing her expression, Lily replies, "Just one more thing."

Master Splinter sees the shock on the teen's face and bows, greeting, "Hello, young lady. Welcome to our home."

Face uncertain, Grace says formally, "Thank you," lowering her head respectfully. A silence fills the room painfully, until it is finally broken by a clap and Rachel's voice, suggesting, "Now that my life is no longer in danger, why don't we come up with a plan?"

"Agreed," Raph concurs hastily, knowing from experience that the sooner they strategize, the sooner he gets to kick some shell. Releasing Rachel's hand, Leo goes strait into leader mode, saying, "The first thing we have to do is find out the Foot's plot."

"That's easy," Vanessa cuts in. "That mean old bitch Karai wants revenge on your family for banishing her 'father' to that icy prison."

"Vanessa, watch your language!" Lily scolds, inclining her head toward Grace. Grace simply rolls her eyes and mutters sarcastically, "Like I haven't heard anything worse than 'bitch'."

Seeing the look of a mother ready to lecture a teen in Lily's eyes, Sam interrupts, "Moving on," trying to stop a fight from breaking out. Having been quiet for a long time, it is a surprise when Don disagrees timidly, "I don't think that it's Karai."

He earns the attention of the whole room, and Mikey asks, "What you talkin' about, Willis?"

Ignoring the awful impression, Don explains, "The Shredder has been gone for presumably two years, and during his absence, Karai has been leader of the clan. However, even though Karai is appointed leader of the Foot, they have never truly respected her, merely serving her out of duty; not loyalty. Also, Karai has not been able to rule her minions, only control them because her father, Oroku Saki, left her the 'family business'. As of late, the Foot clan has been gaining ground more rapidly than ever, leading me to believe that the Foot are under new management."

"Or old management," Rachel muses softly, pondering the unthinkable. Don nods at her solemnly, saying, "We may have to face the reality that the Shredder has returned and is after us for revenge."

"But it's impossible! The utrom council left that icky alien thing to die on that ice asteroid!" Mikey insists, not ready to believe his worst nightmare is back. Sighing, Don answers, "Anything is possible."

"Okay, so now that we _think_ we know who's behind this, what are we gonna do about it? Who knows how many people could get caught in the crossfire if we don't do somethin'?" Raph shudders at the memories of the long past gang wars, pushing the images of blood and crumpled lifeless bodies from his mind.

"One thing is for sure: They're not going to get away with this," Vanessa snarls, her hatred for the utrom surfacing. An idea comes to Lily, and she asks, "What if we did an inside job. You've infiltrated their building before, right?"

"Yes, but ever since they've blocked all entrances except the front door and the throne room on the roof, and there are a thousand guards. We'd never get through," Don replies, sounding disappointed. Face set in concentration, Sam says, "Maybe you wouldn't. But we could."

Lily nods slowly in agreement, then she stands quickly, requesting, "Don, would you be able to hack into the Foot's files?"

Don replies after a short pause, "I could for a limited amount of time, and it would be tricky, but yes."

"Let's go," Lily orders, and the group moves to the lab, cramming into the room less than comfortably. Curious as to what Lily has up her sleeve, Don's hands fly expertly over the keys, windows opening and closing in the blink of an eye. Not a minute later, he says, "I'm in."

Lily shuffles closer to the bright screen and scans it, a certain icon catching her eye. She reaches over to the mouse and steers the cursor to the icon, clicking on it. Furrowing his brow, Leo asks, "Why are you checking an online agenda?"

Lily ignores him, scrolling through the columns swiftly. The light of the screen sets off a glow onto Lily's pale face as she studies the dates, times and names, looking for something…

"Hold it!" Sam exclaims loudly, pointing to a certain time slot. Lily stops searching at the order and asks, "What is it, Sam?"

Eyes trained on the screen, Sam recites, "January 21st, 8:00pm-9:30pm."

Lily scans the name and the purpose of the appointment, and a thoughtful expression spreads over her face as a plan forms in her head. "Yes," she murmurs softly, and Don nods as well, his own thoughts flying.

"Excuse me, but am I missing something?" Rachel asks, leaning on Leo for support. Turning her eyes away from the screen, Lily says, "There is an appointment at the Foot headquarters tomorrow night. They are to see a woman by the name of Marian Sinclair."

"Perfect. That's the way in for at least one of us. Can you check the blueprints again, just to see if there's any way in?" Vanessa demands. Before she even finishes her sentence, Don is in the blueprints for the building, searching for an easy way in from the outside. He looks over it and answers excitedly, "I see two: One through a ventilation shaft near the top floor facing the south, and another through the garbage disposal on the east side of the building on the first level."

"Nice," Mikey mutters sarcastically, knowing that he'll probably be stuck going in the garbage disposal. Ignoring Mikey's distaste, Leo says, "Now that we have a way in, we have to get ready. I think that the first thing we should do is get Grace out of here. She isn't safe with us."

Master Splinter nods in agreement, and Mikey asks, "How are we gonna get her home to your parents without being caught by the Foot, Lily?"

Looking at the group in confusion, Grace wonders, "What are you-"

Grace sees the downcast and guilty expression on Lily's face, and it finally clicks in her mind. She shakes her head in disbelief, whispering, "You didn't tell them, did you?"

"What do you mean, Grace?" Rachel asks, eyeing Lily curiously. Grace barks out a humorless laugh and shakes her head again, her brows coming together as she says spitefully, "It looks like I'm not the only one you lied to."

Don looks at Lily's ashamed eyes and asks her quietly, "Lily, is there something I-…we should know?"

_'It's time to face the music.'_ Swallowing hard, Lily replies, "We can't send Grace home because no one will be there. My parents are…dead."

_The truth is revealed!!!!!! I bet you didn't see that coming, did ya? Hah! I sure fooled you!_

_Okay, now that my immature gloating is over, what about that chapter? So much drama! It's incredible. I never believed I could write anything dramatic, and look at this! Aren't you proud? _;)

_So, this is a late chapter, isn't it? I've been working so it's been hard to get to my story, but don't worry, I have lots more if you'd like to read it!_

_Thank you for reading, and I promise to update again soon! Have a great day, and please review! _:D

The Light of Reason

_PS-Lily sounded like Harry Potter on that last line. He's always complaining that his parents are dead. What an emo… _XD


	5. Truth Revealed

_Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT characters, but I own Lily, Vanessa, Rachel, Sam and Grace! _

_So…gasp! Lily has been keeping secrets from everyone! It must be hard for her, having to watch her back all the time. On the other hand…how could she lie to sweet Donnie?!_

_This next chapter will (hopefully) be shorter than usual, but who knows? Please enjoy, and review!_

The quiet is deafening in the room as Lily's words sink in. All this time, she has harbored this burning secret, not prepared to admit aloud to these people she now holds so close the horrible truth: that her parents are dead. The shock is obvious on all the faces in the room except that of Grace, who just gives her sister a stony glare; Lily can just imagine her words of anger, surprise and disappointment by looking into her inflamed green eyes. She completely understand what her sister is thinking. She can hardly believe herself that she has hidden this for so long, dodging the questions and avoiding reality. But it seemed the only way to keep a normal relationship at the time. When the word of her parents' death spread, everyone had given her pitying looks and whispered behind her back. It felt good not having conversations weighed down by the truth for once, and if she could do it all over again, she doesn't know if she would have changed anything.

The silence rings for almost a whole minute, and to fill it, Lily explains, "My parents were scientists, and the summer after my grade twelve graduation, they were killed in a laboratory accident. There was a fire, and some chemicals reacted, creating an explosion."

Looking confused, Mikey asks delicately, "Then, who do you and Grace live with?"

Lily sighs and answers, "That story is a bit longer. After they-…the accident, we were trying to find living arrangements. None of our family members could accommodate us except for my grandfather. He called me to his house one day to tell me that he and my grandmother were moving to North Carolina the next fall, and they wanted to take Grace with them. My grandfather said that he would pay for me to go to UNYC and that I was old enough to live on my own and do what I wanted-"

"And do you know what she said to him?" Grace cuts in, walking over to her sister. Lily is worried to look at her sister, but when she glances at Grace's face, a forgiving smile spreads over it as she continues, "Lily said to him, 'You're right; which is why I'm going to file for custody of Grace.' You can imagine that wiped the benevolence from his heart. He never really liked either of us, and thought that our parents weren't bringing us up right. He didn't like feminism, and thought that women were supposed to be nurses and stay at home moms, not doctors and CEOs. At the time, I was almost eleven, and he thought I had some potential to be what my mother and Lily weren't: a robot that follows orders and never says what's on her mind."

Grace winks at her sister, Lily rolling her eyes at Grace's exaggeration of their grandfather's views on their upbringing. Lily, a little more at ease, finishes, "One eight month court battle later, I was given full custody, with the condition of bi-weekly checks on our living arrangements."

"Our grandfather was so mad!" Grace exclaims, looking pleased at the thought, and placing a hand on her sister's arm she says, "But he learned one thing: No one can split up the Clements girls."

Lily envelopes Grace in a big bear hug and squeezes her hard. Sounding repentant, Lily says into her ear, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about all of this before."

"It's okay," Grace replies, and as she pulls away she adds, "I probably wouldn't have believed you anyway."

Lily smiles, then turns to the rest of her friends and apologizes, "I'm also sorry that I lied to all of you. It seemed the best thing at the time, and I didn't want to force my complicated life on any of you."

"Are you kidding? Have you seen our lives? Living in the sewers, a completely different species," Mikey shakes his head, muttering, "And you thought _your_ life was complicated."

"Besides," Sam says, slinging an arm around Lily's shoulder, "As weirdoes, we have to stick together. I thought we made a pact?"

"You're the only weird one, Sammie," Rachel jokes, messing up her hair. Lily smiles warmly, grateful for the understanding, but her smile fades as she sees the look of betrayal on Don's face. She moves close to him and murmurs quietly, "I'm especially sorry that I lied to you."

Don just sighs, saying nothing to let on what he's thinking. She thought he might react like this, but leaves him be with his thoughts, knowing that she should give him a little time to take in the new information. Eager to get back to the problem at hand, Leo says, "Alright. If Grace can't go home, she can stay here. It's the only way to keep her safe."

Lily nods in agreement, not wanting to put her sister in danger. Beginning to pace before the group, Leo says, "Now, let's get back to the problem at hand. I have a plan…"

A long hour of strategizing later, they are all agreed on a plan. There was a short shouting match between Raph and Vanessa, but finally it was decided that the girls will stay in the lair for the time being, seeing how easily the Foot found them and the possibility that they know where they live. Long since ready for bed, Grace is dozing on the extra chair in the computer room, looking peaceful. Lily smiles and says softly, "She's exhausted," running a hand over her blond hair lightly so as not to wake her. Picking her up, Don says quietly to no one in particular, "She can sleep in the extra room that April and Casey sometimes stay in."

Without even a glance at Lily, he leaves the room. Lily releases a big gush of air, knowing that Don's attempts to ignore her are him showing his anger and disappointment. Patting her shoulder, Mikey says quietly, "He'll come around."

Lily nods, though she knows it won't be until at least tomorrow night when they act out the plan. She stares at the door until Don returns, sitting himself at his computer desk and going back to work. He doesn't even acknowledge that she's less than three feet away from him, and she slumps her shoulders at the icy treatment. Leo carries Rachel off to his bedroom to lay her down for the night, and Vanessa and Raph head off for his room. Sam kisses Mikey on the cheek and says, "I'm off for a shower. I won't be long."

Once they exit the room, Lily finally finds herself alone with Don. She waits hopefully for him to say something, but when he doesn't, she clears her throat nervously, saying, "I want to talk to you about it Don."

"Talk about what?" he demands, eyes trained on his computer screen. Releasing a breath, she replies, "My lies."

Don stands abruptly from his chair and turns to face her, snapping, "There's nothing else to say about those except for why? Why did you lie to me? Don't you know that you can tell me anything?"

She struggles for some way to explain her mistake, the only thing she can think of pushing past her lips, "I just wanted to feel normal for once, Don."

"You've made some strange choices for someone who wants so badly to be 'normal'," Don scoffs, a sudden anger rising up in Lily's chest at the unfair judgment. Taking two long strides toward him, she invades his personal space, heatedly saying, "Don't you _dare_ judge me like that, Donatello! You know I meant nothing mean toward you!"

"Yet you didn't tell Grace about me; you didn't tell me about your parents! You hid everything and pretended your life was something that it wasn't! You lived a _lie_!" He explodes, unable to stop the hurt and anger. His voice lowering in volume and intensity, he says, "I don't know if I can trust you anymore, Lily."

Her heart stops at those words, and she can't even speak for a long moment. Swallowing, she says earnestly, "I'm really sorry, and I wish I could take it back. Unfortunately, life doesn't work that way."

She reaches out to place a hand on his shoulder, rethinking it and letting her arm drop to the side as she sighs. Eyes gentle and sad, Lily murmurs, "Don't work too late," leaving the room because she can't stand the way he looks at her. Don watches her leave the room quietly, shutting the door behind her. Groaning, he says to himself, "You blew it this time, Don," returning to his computer.

_The secret is out! Oh, Donnie. Donnie, Donnie, Donnie. You really put your foot in it this time (pardon the pun)._

_So, lots of angst! It's too bad that I have to make all of this so hard on Don and Lily. Could this be the end of the romance between geniuses? I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I have one more chapter of fluff left, then the big plan! YAY! _:D

_Thanks for reading, and please review. If you don't, I'll poke Raph off of this cliff with a spork!_

_Raph: Yer insane!_

_Me: Why, thank you!_

_The Light Of Reason _


	6. Night Life

_Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT. They belong to Mirage studios. However, I do own Sam, Vanessa, Rachel, Lily and Grace!_

_I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. Here's a recap: Lily's parents are dead. She lied about it. Don's ticked off with her. Sound about right? Good! I hope that you enjoy this chapter of fluff, and please review!_

The lair seems empty once Lily leaves the laboratory, the only lights coming from the translucent screen door leading to Master Splinter's room and the faint glow underneath Mikey's bedroom door. She creeps around the outer ring of the lair, peeking in on Grace. She's a small lump beneath the bed covers, and Lily ventures into the room, sitting down next to her sister softly. She rubs her arm lightly, remembering the days when they would spend time in the dark of her own bedroom, the youngest trembling in her big sister's arms and recounting a frightening dream. She misses the days when she could be the protective big sister, not the overly protective mother-figure. It all changed after her parents died; she became swamped with work, taking double shifts and having to skip classes just to keep the two of them together. She is given compensation for the loss of her parents, but still has to hold down a job to keep up their living conditions, and the job on top of University is tiring. _'What have I gotten myself into?' _Whispering, "Goodnight, Grace," she squeezes her sisters arm and leaves the room, closing the door softly behind her.

She is just about to head to the couch to sleep, not wanting to spend the night in Don's bed, when she sees two dark figures by the bathroom. Squinting, she can just discern Leo and Sam in the darkness, the first speaking to her in a low voice. In the glow that emanates from under the door, she sees Sam smile and pat his shoulder, saying something to him and then slipping into the bathroom, shutting door. Lily sees him start to head toward his own room, and on some impulse she begins to move to him. She calls out, "Leo?" in a whisper, causing the turtle to stop and wait until she reaches him.

"Yes?" he asks, waiting for her to say something. Although just moments ago she was bursting to talk to Leo about her situation, she suddenly finds herself unable to find words, her earnest question bubbling beneath the surface. He looks at her for a good few moments before he prods gently, "Did you want to ask me something?"

Swallowing to regain her voice, she forces out, "Yes. I was wondering if-…I mean, do you think that-that Don will…forgive me?"

Her voice feigns indifference, but he knows that she's worried, even scared of the idea that Don won't forgive her. Wanting to assure her, he replies, "I'm sure he will. He's a good person, and he cares about you a lot. He'll get over it."

Her body relaxes slightly in relief, and she nods, saying quietly, "Thanks, Leo," giving him a hug before she even realizes what she's doing. Leo blinks in surprise, but his arms squeeze her for a second before she pulls away, bidding a bright, "G'night."

He replies, "Goodnight," looking a bit bemused. As she lies down on the couch and curls up, pulling a blanket over herself, she can't help but think with a chuckle, _'I sure made that awkward.'_

Leo turns back to his own room and slowly opens the door, closing it behind him. He pads to the bed and lifts the corner of the covers, lying next to Rachel with a great squeaking of bedsprings. She smiles in the dark and snuggles closer to him, setting her head upon his shoulder. Her warm breath makes his neck tingle and Leo carefully wraps his arms around her, almost as if he could break her. The fabric of the T-shirt and the pair of shorts left behind at one point by April that she's wearing are soft against his skin, the only thing softer her bare leg touching his. The gauze covering her wound brushes his leg and he feels sick with guilt that he let this happen to her. It's scary, how Rachel seems to know exactly what he's thinking, and she whispers into his neck, "Stop worrying about me, it's not you fault. Anyway, I'm fine now."

His voice serious, he breathes quietly, "What if you weren't fine?"

Propping herself up on one elbow so she can look right into his eyes, Rachel answers, "Then I'd be lucky enough to have you by my side the whole time."

With a smile on her lips, she kisses him softly, resting her head back in the crook of his neck. Leo closes his eyes and allows sleep to take him prisoner, encouraged with the promise of those lips touching his when he wakes.

The warm water cascades down Sam's body soothingly as she scrubs the soap she had to substitute as shampoo from her hair. She hums softly to herself, mulling over the conversation she and Leo had only minutes before.

_Earlier_

_'_I'm such a mess,'_ she thought to herself, running a hand through her sweaty hair tiredly. She was about to close the bathroom door behind her when someone called her name. She looked up to see Leo, and a bit surprised to see him she paused, waiting for him to reach her. Once he drew up to her, she had to tilt her head back to see his face, asking, "What is it, Leo?"_

_Looking down at her, he said, "I just wanted to say thank you for helping Rachel, you have no idea what it means to me."_

_"It was nothing-" she began, but was cut off by Leo insisting, "No. You were incredible and so brave. I didn't know that you had it in you, and you were really impressive. You should be proud of yourself."_

_She was floored by this praise from Leo, and an unsure smile crept over her face as she placed a hand on his shoulder, saying, "Thanks, Leo. And just for the record, I think that you're very brave too. Now, I should go get cleaned up. I smell like sewer."_

_With that final remark and a grin, she closed the bathroom door behind her, glowing as she turned on the faucet._

Sam turns off the water and pulls back the shower curtain, drying herself with a white towel as she says to herself, "What a softie. He's almost as bad as Raph."

Once dressed, Sam turns off the bathroom light and moves through the black lair, headed toward the door with the crack of light beneath it. She opens the door and pushes it shut behind her, looking at Mikey lying in his bed reading a comic book. He sets it down and beams at her, saying temptingly, "I've got my very best comics here if you want to read them."

Usually, she would have happily cuddled next to him with a comic book; however, tonight she feels an inexplicable want to go further with him than ever before. Sam smirks at him as her hand finds the switch on the wall, and she drowns the room in darkness, sauntering up to the bed through the debris on the floor. Getting up on the bed and straddling him, she murmurs, "I thought we might do something else tonight."

Mikey is overcome with a heated desire for Sam, but tries to keep things light and his feelings in check by saying, "That sounds good. What do you have in mind, babe?"

"Close your eyes," she whispers, and as he does she leans down, pressing her lips to his. An eruption of goosebumps raise on her skin as his hands travel up her torso and he pulls her closer to his finely muscled body. Their kisses become deeper and longer, her breath ragged each time they break apart for air. Mikey's hands move steadily up her back and neck to cup her face, his lips brushing over one eyelid and then the other before they hungrily find her neck. Sam gasps and her eyes clench as his kisses dance over her skin, tingling in the most sensitive areas. His hands move down to the hem of her shirt and her lifts it over her head, his kisses trailing further down her body until his kisses land in the place between her breasts. Placing her hands beneath his jaw line, Sam pulls his lips back up to meet hers, falling gently onto her side. Mikey takes advantage of their new position and his hand follows the curve of her backside, finally stopping at the underside of her thigh and pulling it up higher against his hip. They kiss heatedly for a long time, until both can hardly draw breath and they pull apart. Sleepily, Sam curls into his plastron, her eyelashes fluttering upon his skin in her fight to stay awake after such a long night. In only a few minutes, she is fast asleep, her breathing deep and even. Adjusting his arms around her warm body, Mikey kisses her forehead, resting his cheek on her head and falling into slumber.

Meanwhile, in a dark room, Vanessa moans again as Raph's teeth close upon the skin of her neck, a shiver rocketing up her spine. His lips envelope hers and their tongues mingle familiarly, the smoldering intensity building between them as they move under the sheets. Vanessa suddenly pulls back when she feels Raph's pelvis much too close to hers, saying firmly to his bemused look, "Raph, I can't go any further with you right now. I'm just not ready, and I don't think that you are either."

He nods, understanding and agreeing with her completely, and he breathes sincerely, "That's alright. I'll wait as long as ya want, Nessa."

He means what he's saying, not wanting to hurt Vanessa's beautiful innocence, not to mention his own. Smiling, Vanessa says gratefully, "Thanks, Raph," and kisses his lips sweetly, sliding off the bed to retrieve her undergarments. He watches her toned, slim frame as she bends over to pick up her clothes from the floor, pulling on her pale pink underwear. She then clasps her white bra in front and twists it around her rib cage, pulling up the straps to rest upon her shoulders. In seconds she returns to the warm bed and lies down next to Raph, her arms snaking around his neck to hug him tightly. His hands land on her hips out of habit, and he gives her sides a sudden squeeze, and evil grin spreading over his face. She yelps in surprise, narrowing her eyes a moment later as she grumbles, "Don't squeeze my love handles."

He chuckles and gives her flesh another pinch, insisting, "Ya don't have any love handles, babe."

"Just because mine aren't as big as yours, doesn't mean I don't have any," Vanessa teases, hiding her smile to the best of her ability. Furrowing his brow in mock anger at the jibe, he growls, "Yer gonna get it now!"

Raph flips her over with ease and pins her firmly with his weight, tickling her. She squirms and giggles beneath him, keeping her voice down so as nit to disturb any of the others slumbering in the household. Finally, she forces him to flip back over and smirks at him, gloating, "Isn't this what happened in training yesterday? When will you ever learn, Raph?"

She plants another playful kiss on his lips, yawns widely and snuggles close to him, drifting off to sleep. Long after Vanessa is asleep, Raph lies awake, the night owl content to listen to the calming sound of her breathing. At some point before one, his eyes close and he falls asleep, hugging Vanessa close.

Don glances absentmindedly at the clock on the bottom of his bright computer screen. 3:17 am. Stretching his arms above his head, he yawns and shuts down his computer, deciding to do more work later. He stumbles quietly through the darkened lair, not wanting to wake any of his brothers in case they want to scold him for being up so late again. He eases open the door to his room softly, entering silently. His bed is empty. Curious, he moves to Grace's room and peeks in, but sees no sign of Lily. It's then that he notices the huddled figure on the threadbare couch, and guilt weighing on his heart, he tiptoes over to her. He looks down at her peaceful face and sighs, brushing a hand over her head. When he does, her body shivers a bit and her breathing hitches a bit before returning to normal. Don hunts down another blanket in the blackness, retrieving an extra pillow as well for her makeshift bed. He lifts her head carefully from the arm of the couch and places the pillow underneath it, letting her head back down gently. Then, Don throws the blanket over her quivering body, kissing the top of her head softly and heading back toward his room.

Sleep evades Donatello for what seems like hours after he slides between his bed covers, thoughts of Lily, the night's events and the plan for tomorrow night popping up in his mind. With a lot of effort, he drifts into a restless slumber, Lily in all of his dreams.

_Wasn't that cute? But now that it's over…yessssssssssss! Finally, it's time for the big plan to come into play. It's time for some ninja butt kicking action! _

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the next one is on the way. Have a great day, and please review!_

_The Light of Reason_


	7. Infiltration

_Disclaimer: You know it by now already, don't you? I don't own the TMNT (property of Mirage Studios), but I own my OCs Samantha, Vanessa, Rachel, Lily and Grace. I also do not own __Anne of Green Gables__ by L.M. Montgomery, __The Same Stuff as Stars__ by __Katherine Paterson__, or the popular toy by the name of pogs._

_Yay! Time for the plan to be revealed! I hope this is as intense as I think it is. So, now they're getting back at the Foot, the objective being to shut them down for good, but you know what happens on these missions… It's the girls' first time out on the job, so let's hope that they don't screw up! Enjoy, and review! Remember: Raph's still on the cliff!_

_A note: There will be some jumping around from team to team, so if it's a little confusing, I apologize! _

"Are you sure about this?" Lily asks as Rachel traces the outside of her bright green eyes with dark eyeliner. Rolling her eyes, Sam insists exasperatedly, "It's perfect. Trust me, Lily, you look _hot_!"

"And…done!" Rachel exclaims, stepping back to proudly admire her work. Vanessa, Rachel and Sam look over Lily for a long moment, positively beaming, and a bit impatient, Lily asks, "Well? How do I look?"

"See for yourself, gorgeous," Vanessa replies, holding up a hand mirror in front of her apprehensive friend. Lily blinks a few times in surprise at the stranger in the mirror where her reflection should be. Instead of her regular fresh face and blond hair, Lily sees a woman with fiery red hair, long, dark lashes, dark eyebrows, two rose petal cheeks against a milky complexion and red lips. The only familiar things are her vivid green eyes, filled with curiosity and wonder at her own transformation, and she looks up in amazement at Rachel, Vanessa and Sam.

Grinning, Sam says, "No need to thank us."

Lily turns her head from side to side, musing, "I wanted to be a red head when I was younger. I even dyed it without telling my parents when I was eleven."

"Really?" Rachel asks her. Lily nods and smiles, explaining, "I was reading Anne of Green Gables, and the idea of red hair struck me. So, I bought dye and colored my hair when my parents weren't home. Unfortunately, my hair turned bright orange because my hair was so blond. It lasted for six whole weeks!"

"Six weeks?" Sam repeats, unable to believe Lily doing something so stupid even in childhood. Lily smiles sheepishly as her friends laugh at the image of her with carrot colored hair, protesting, "Ben Parker, my neighbor, said I looked fine, but I think that's just because he wanted to borrow my pogs."

Once she regains her composure, Vanessa looks at Lily again and shakes her head, marveling, "I can't believe how much you look like Marian Sinclair."

"Except Lily's definitely prettier than her," Rachel adds, tilting her head to the side, her arms folded over her chest and a smile pointed at Lily. All of the attention makes Lily blush a bit and she suggests, "We should get going. The boys will probably be getting antsy by now."

The girls nod in agreement and Lily stands from her seat, surprisingly steady on her high heels, the quartet making a procession out to the main area of the lair. The turtles are all leaning and sitting in various positions on the old tattered blue couch, Mikey sitting upside down in his usual fashion, Don sitting on the arm of the couch, Raph slouched with his arms slung across the back of the couch and Leo with his arms crossed, leaning against the back of the couch behind his brother's head. Mikey is the first to notice Lily, and he breathes, "Dude," flipping over to get a better look. Leo turns at the soft exclamation, having to do a double take when he sees Lily. It's nearly impossible to discern her beneath the red wig and make-up, her frame hugged by a short, dark green silk dress with a plunging neckline and her feet sporting pair of jet black stilettos. Don tries to avoid looking at her, but can't help staring, his heart drumming hard in his plastron and his face heating up. Underneath all the make-up, he can still see her beautiful face, but something is different; instead of looking like a sweet innocent girl, she looks like a sexy siren, something he hasn't seen before. Slightly uncomfortable under the gaze of the four turtles, she quirks a dyed eyebrow and asks, "Are we ready to go?"

Leo blinks suddenly and pries his eyes from her, saying seriously, "Yeah. Let's move out."

"Right," Don agrees, throwing his duffle bag over his shoulder and tapping Mikey's shoulder to make him move. Grace emerges from her temporary room to see what's going on and her eyes widen when she sees her sister, the teen gasping, "You're wearing make-up!"

"If that's the biggest change you noticed, you'll have to get your eyes checked," Sam jokes as Grace moves toward her sister. Smiling, Grace says, "You look beautiful, although that's no different than usual."

"Thanks," Lily replies bashfully, giving her sister a tight hug. Before releasing herself, Grace whispers, "Please be safe."

"I'll be alright," Lily insists kindly, pulling away. She waves to Grace, and then the eight leave the lair, headed for the surface above. Master Splinter comes behind Grace and places a weathered old paw on her shoulder, assuring, "They will be fine. They are ready for this."

"What if they don't come back?" Grace asks fearfully, turning to look at the rat. His face stretches into a sympathetic smile, and he replies, "Do not worry about what has not yet happened."

Grace sighs, knowing that's the only answer she'll get from the rat Master, and goes to her room, picking up a battered copy of The Same Stuff as Stars and immersing herself into the world of Angel, the young heroine of the story.

"I _still_ don't think this is going to work," Lily frets doubtfully into her earpiece as Casey, her "chauffeur" pulls up to the Foot headquarters. Trying to reassure her, Rachel begins, "You'll be fine-"

"Look, Lily," Sam interrupts her impatiently, "You're extremely convincing as Marian Sinclair, and you look so sexy, I don't think that _anyone _will notice anything else. Stop worrying and just do what you've practiced! I _knew_ Don should have given her a kiss to calm her down before we left…"

"Thank you for those touching words, Sam," Lily mutters sarcastically, flushing as the car comes to a halt. Glancing out the window nervously, she asks, "Are you _sure _that the real Marian Sinclair won't show up?"

"Yeah, we took care of her," Raph answers casually. Lily's eyes widen in alarm and she breathes, "You mean you-"

"No, of course we didn't kill her!" Sam answers, smacking Raph in the back of the head. "What the 'Godfather' means to say is that we made sure that she won't be getting anywhere near the Foot headquarters. She is at the moment in a five star hotel in Alabama with no way to phone long distance. What a shame that her travel plans got mixed up!"

Lily shakes her head at Sam's sense of humor, then taking in a deep breath, she opens the door of the sleek black car and steps out into the cold night air, her breath coming out in curls of smoke. She strides purposefully to the entrance of the building, her open white trench coat flapping around her knees in the light breeze. The guard's jaw drops slightly and he straightens up as Lily comes into view, his expression a bit discomforting as he looks her over.

"How can I help you, Miss?" the man asks, his eyes drifting down to her nicely displayed cleavage. Lily notices this but ignores it, saying haughtily, "I'm Marian Sinclair. I have an appointment."

The guard checks the computer screen behind his desk, and says after a moment, "Here it is. I'll be needing your identification."

Smiling at him, Lily replies amiably, "Of course," digging into her pocket for her fake ID. She holds up the small plastic card for him to inspect, then slips it back into her coat pocket, taking a step forward, only to be stopped by the guard holding out a hand. Her heart stops for a moment in fear, her throat constricting and her body going cold. _'Was I that obvious?' _However, he does not pull a ninja move on her, but smiles slyly, saying casually, "Before I let you go, I was wondering if you have any other plans tonight, Miss Sinclair?"

Lily is totally caught off-guard, realizing that he's making a pass at her, and replies indignantly, "No, and I don't want to make any. Your behavior is completely unprofessional!"

Shrugging his shoulders, he asks, "Can you blame me for trying?"

_'Unbelievable!'_ she says to herself incredulously, flushing a bit in both embarrassment and annoyance. Furrowing her brow, Lily answers shortly, "Yes," adding icily for a little extra emphasis, "And here's a tip: when talking to a woman, address her face, not her breasts."

With a glare she brushes past the guard and through the gate, marching toward the building ahead with a clenched jaw. Having heard the whole exchange through her earpiece, Vanessa spits angrily through her teeth, "The nerve of that guy!"

"I told you they'd pay more attention to your boobs than your face!" Sam chimes, through she sounds more venomous than teasing. Just as upset as the other girls, Rachel, sounding impressed, murmurs, "You sure told him, Lily."

Voice as light as possible, Lily whispers, "He's not the only bastard I've had to deal with lately," clicking up the stairs to the large building in front of her. She strides into the front door of the building, not quite sure what to expect. Her eyes widen a bit in surprise when she is greeted by a bright, open lobby, something one might find in an office building or a hotel.

"I guess the Foot are trying a new look," she comments softly, taking in the large room. The floor is covered in a gorgeous mosaic tile in shades of every color depicting a sunset behind a grove of cherry blossom trees; every corner of the room sports greenery; and a pouring waterfall covers the right side of the room. The walls are marble, with tall white pillars holding up the concave marble ceiling. Every surface gleams in the light from many pot lights and a large crystal chandelier in the centre of the ceiling, the wood shining and the floor sparkling. There are three wooden doors in the room, and a large, cherry wood desk with a woman seated behind it. Lily takes in a calming breath and moves to the desk, saying formally to the woman, "I'm here for an appointment."

"Seventh floor, the door at the end of the hall," the woman replies without looking up from her computer screen. Murmuring, "Thank you," Lily walks to the door that the lady indicated, opening it to reveal a short hallway with an elevator and two doors. One leads to the stairs; the other is a closet. She looks around her, although she knows she's alone, and sneaks into the closet, closing the door softly behind her. Once inside, Lily strips off her heels, dress, coat and wig, pulling on a navy blue spandex suit and a face mask. Sighing, she breathes, "Let's hope this stealth suit works."

She presses the small green button on the belt going around her waist, and immediately her whole body becomes invisible. Relieved, she whispers into her head set, "I'm in, and I have the suit on. Commence phase two."

She then steps out of the closet, leaving her clothes, and debates how to get upstairs without arousing suspicion. Lady luck comes in the form of an older Asian man coming into the corridor and pushing the button for the elevator. She squeezes into the lift with the man, the passenger none the wiser to her presence.

"Will you do the honors, Donatello?" Rachel asks after the go ahead from Lily. Smiling in the darkness, he replies, "It would be my pleasure," taking a small laser from his bag of tricks. The red light slices through the metal grate like butter and he pulls it off, placing it down next to him on the cement ledge he, Rachel and Michelangelo are standing on by the edges of their toes. Mikey clambers into the tunnel followed by Rachel and finally Don who crawls in and reattaches the grate behind him.

Leo looks up at the faces of Sam, Vanessa and Raph and whispers, "It's go time."

Raph cups his hands and boosts Vanessa and Sam into the garbage chute, pulling himself up behind them. Leo gives the alley around him another quick sweep with his dark eyes, finally lifting himself into the chute. They crawl on hands and knees through the dark tube easily thanks to the suction cups on their palms, knees and in the girls' case, their shoes, soon coming upon a flap opening. Lifting the flap cautiously, Vanessa peeks out into the garbage disposal room, seeing no one. She slips out of the chute, landing lightly, followed by Sam who lands with a thump and the two nearly silent ninja. They move across the room with hardly a sound, keeping themselves obscured by large stacks of refuse. It is easy to get in-almost _too_ easy. Leo's senses are on high alert as he scans their surroundings, examining every inch of the room. Once he's sure that no one else is in the room, he says into his earpiece, "We're ready for the next step."

Turning to Raph and Sam, he whispers, "You know what to do."

"Yeah," Raph nods, then he and Sam dart to the exit of the room, off to do their part of the plan. Vanessa tunes into her head set and asks, "How are you doing, Lily?"

"I just got off of the elevator, and I'm on the fourth floor. According to the blueprints, one of the two computers in the building on its own independent power source is located here," Lily informs softly, hoping that there aren't any employees on the floor.

"We're on the second floor. We'll head to the throne room on the top level. Lily, find out any information you can from that computer and meet us in the throne room when you're done; Don, Mikey and Rachel, head right up the throne room after you do what you have to. The same goes for you, Raph and Sam. We'll regroup there. So everyone be careful, and don't get caught."

"Good pep talk," Mikey compliments as he makes his way through the ventilation shafts, following Don's directions. Vanessa releases a laugh and Leo smiles back, face becoming serious again as he glances around the room for a stealthy way to get up to the seventh floor. He sees that their only option is the ventilation ducts and sighs, pointing them out to Vanessa whose shoulders fall in annoyance. The pair climb up the wall using their suction cups and Leo tugs the grate off of the opening, allowing Vanessa to crawl in before of him. A bit disgruntled, Vanessa mutters, "This is exactly how I wanted to spend my Saturday night."

"My sentiments exactly," Leo agrees, fastening the grate behind him.

"Are you ready to do your stuff, Don?" Rachel asks as they near the power room. He nods in response, pulling his bo-staff out as he ducks into the room and knocking out the technicians before they even realize there is an intruder. Rachel and Mikey enter behind him, Rachel remarking, "Nice work."

"Thanks," Don pants, then he moves to the nearest control panel. Looking over the buttons, he searches for a way to shut all the power in the building down. After a few minutes of fruitless search, Rachel becomes impatient and begins looking for the shut down button herself. They are discouraged and frustrated until Mikey clears his throat theatrically and they turn around to see him examining his imaginary cuticles with his elbow propped up on a large red switch clearly labeled in capital letters SHUT DOWN.

"Show off," Rachel grumbles as grinning, he pulls the switch and the room is swallowed in blackness.

When the corridor that Sam and Raph are creeping down suddenly becomes dark, they quickly tug their night vision goggles onto their faces and continue more briskly down the hall. Up ahead, they see two figures in infrared standing by a door, one making confused gestures toward the other. Silent as death, Raph sneaks up behind them and pushes a pressure point in each neck, causing the pair to collapse. As she lifts her goggles off of her face, Sam kneels down next to the Foot ninja and pulls off their face masks. Squinting in the darkness, she discerns the face of a young man with freckles and fair hair and a Japanese woman with her long, black hair in a pony tail. Sam takes off the woman's uniform, thankful that she is wearing clothes underneath it and pulls the uniform over her own clothes, then scans the woman's body with her molecular changer before strapping it onto her wrist. In an instant, she becomes a double of the unconscious woman on the floor, adjusting her tunic a bit. Raph does the same to the man, tugging the black mask over his newly transformed face before he drags the two bodies to a nearby storeroom, jamming it so they can't get out if they wake up earlier than planned.

_'I wonder who I'm supposed to be.' _Sam muses, reading the small identification card she plucked from the woman's belt. Keeping her voice low, Sam whispers, "I'm Mei Lee: guard, technician and highly trained fighter."

Raph glances over his own card and groans, muttering, "My guy's Jacob Ellis, some kid who's been a guard for a month. Why do I have ta be the noob?"

"Stop complaining, Raph. Would you rather be the girl?" Sam hisses, pulling her mask over her face. Marching down the hall, she urges, "We should get moving."

"Right," Raph remarks, looking around the hall once more to assure they are alone and then hurrying after Sam. They soon come to their destination: a set of large metal doors flanked by two deadly looking guards. Disguising his voice, Raph says, "We're here for our shift."

"We have not sent for replacements. Away with you!" one guard snaps disdainfully, eyeing the two with suspicion. Sam places her hands on her hips aggressively under his scrutinizing regard, asking with a distinct Japanese accent, "Do you refuse orders of your Master? We were sent to guard, and I do not think the Master will be pleased if we disobey orders. Do you wish to address this?"

The more vocal of the two glances toward his companion, finally replying grudgingly, "No, I do not wish to disobey him."

_'Him!' _Sam exclaims in her head, making eye contact with Raph for a second before the guards bow to them. Raph returns the gesture, inwardly muttering obscenities and wishing for nothing more than the pleasure of kicking the lackeys' asses but containing himself. He and Sam stand attentively on either side of the door in wait for the guards to disappear at the end of the hall, and when they're finally gone, Raph opens the door behind him silently, slithering in with Sam not far behind. They look around the dark room in amazement: Weapons, vehicles and inventions line the walls of the room, right up to the Cathedral ceiling. Sam and Raph share another look and grin beneath their masks, setting off to all the toys. Sam examines a hovercraft and sighs dramatically, saying, "Wouldn't it be a shame if this amazing technology was completely destroyed?"

She smiles up at Raph who smirks back at her, hopping onto the hovercraft and cracking his knuckles before he unscrews the hatch with his sais. He fiddles around inside the engine and controls, finding a green wire and a red wire. He slices one, then the other, pressing the ends together in an attempt to hotwire the craft. It roars to life, and Raph grins, taking the wheel of the machine and lifting off. He pushes a red button and a display screen with a target comes up, showing the area in front of him. Raph adjusts his aim, presses the button again, and with a loud sound, the three dormant vehicles in front of him explode. Turning to face the wall of Foot technology, he aims directly for the middle, stabbing the fire button with gusto. The wall becomes a pile of rubble, the dust rising from the mass flying up and nearly choking Sam and Raph. Sam covers her mouth with her sleeve and coughs, squinting against the moving whiteness. Raph lands close to her and hops off the hovercraft, suggesting through a dry throat, "I'm gonna finish the job. You go out inta the hallway."

Sam can merely nod, and she jogs out into the darkness of the corridor, ducking behind the door. Raph presses the self destruct option on the machine, then races out of the room, joining Sam in the hallway and shoving all his weight against the door to close it, bracing himself for the explosion. The two push the door with all of their might to keep it closed as the loud 'boom' sounds on the other side, shaking the door they're leaning against. Once it is quiet for a few seconds, Raph and Sam relax, Sam putting up a hand for a high five. Folding his arms over his chest, Raph replies, "I don't do high fives."

"What are you talking about? _ Everyone_ does high fives!" Sam exclaims in disbelief, unhappy that she is denied her high five. A smile slowly works its way over her face and she asks, "Would you rather a hug, Raphie?"

Raph can hear the intent in her voice, and he threatens, "You come one step closer, and I'll-"

"You touch my girlfriend, and you're toast, Raph!" Mikey interrupts savagely into his headset, having heard the conversation through their connection. Raph suddenly remembers that his brothers and the girls are listening in, and changes the subject quickly, informing, "We did it."

"Vanessa and I are almost to the throne room," Leo murmurs into the headset, asking a breath later, "What's the story with you, Don?"

"We're headed up there now, but we're in a high traffic area at the moment, Leo. It could be tricky to get by unseen," Don answers as he, Mikey and Rachel turn the corner in the black corridor. He is about to say more when he sees a movement in the dim emergency lights and a terrifying sight meets his eyes: Dozens of Foot ninja are crammed into the hallway, blocking the door to the stairs.

_Dun dun DUN!_

_So…they got in! YESSSSSSSSS! Unfortunately, they just met some little friends. _

_I'll try to update soon with more escapades within the Foot headquarters, but things happen, hopeful deadlines aren't met, and now that school has started, all chance of updating soon has been obliterated. Miracles DO happen, though. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and that I didn't confuse you. As you can tell, Lily's a bit miffed that Don's still giving her the silent treatment; on the other hand, Sam and Raph are closer than ever, and I plan to make them even closer *grins evilly*_

_Raph: I have a bad feeling…_

_Sam: Me too._

_MUAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAA! Ahem. Thank you for reading, and please review! Raph is still on the edge of the cliff, you know._

The Light of Reason


	8. Discovered

_Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT characters, but I own my characters Sam, Lily, Vanessa, Rachel and Grace (who does not appear in this chapter). I didn't let her tag along with the big kids. Aren't I mean?_

_What are the big kids doing, you ask? Well, they've broken into the Foot headquarters, cut off all the power, and now they're making their way to the throne room to take down whoever's heading the Foot. There's just one little problem: The Foot have discovered there are intruders, and they've just found Don, Rachel and Mikey. Meanwhile, Raph and Sam have just destroyed a room of weaponry and other tech, Vanessa and Leo are somewhere in the ventilation shafts, and Lily is moving around the floors all by herself in a suit that makes her invisible. What fun!_

_I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please review! _

"Shell!"

"Dude!"

"Shit!" Rachel mutters, shocked that they were found out so quickly and silently worrying, _'How long have they known we're here? Have they gotten the others? Is Leo safe?'_

"Well Don, what's the plan?" Mikey whispers, eyes narrowed on the horde of ninja blocking their path to the stairs. Brian whirring feverishly, Don licks his lips and replies more calmly than he feels, "I'm thinking."

At that very moment, Donatello spots a fire extinguisher, an idea striking him, and he releases his abated breath. Voice low, he instructs, "Follow my lead."

Once again he withdraws his weapon and lunges forward, taking out the front row of ninja with a sweep of his bow staff. Rachel and Mikey rush into the mob, Mikey spinning his nunchucks wildly and Rachel unsheathing her borrowed sword. Mikey is easily able to evade his attackers thanks to his incredible flexibility and lands heavy blows on his adversaries, knocking them down left and right. However, Rachel is a bit worse off, keeping the ninja at bay with slices of her sword and a few good kicks. Once the swarm of ninja is slightly thinned out, Don reaches the fire extinguisher and smashes the glass with his bo-staff. Cutting himself accidentally on the broken glass as he pulls out the bright red extinguisher, he calls, "Mike, Rachel! Over here!"

They hurry to his side, but not before Mikey smacks a ninja in the face with his nunchuck and Rachel lands a nice kick to the groin of another. Wrapping one arm around Rachel's waist, Don says, "Mikey, stand on Rachel's other side and do this."

"What are you-?" Rachel begins to ask as she sees Don fiddling with the fire extinguisher, then realizing his plan, Rachel demands, "A makeshift rocket? Are you crazy, Don?!"

Don's not thrilled himself by the thought of being catapulted through the air over the crowd of ninja, but knowing they're short on time, he replies, "Yes I'm crazy, now hold on!"

Don pushes the operating lever and the three of them take off, soaring over the crowd of enemies and landing upon the floor on the other side. Mikey and Don both land on their feet but Rachel manages to execute a roll before stopping directly in front of the door to the stairs. Rachel jumps to her feet and the three fling open the door, Don and Mikey slamming it and locking it behind them. The two turtles press their backs against the door, using their combined strength to keep it shut. On the opposite side, the Foot ninja batter and attack the metal door, using all of their force to try and open it. In only a few impacts they create dents in the door and Don says urgently, "Rachel, reach into my bag. There should be a tube of liquid titanium alloy."

Rachel's hand dives into the depths of his bag, pulling out after some shuffling around a tube of what looks like carpenter glue. The door dents again against Don and Mikey's shells, and grunting, Don guides, "Fill the crack between the door and the frame."

Quickly, Rachel squeezes the contents of the tube around the door into the crack, the liquid hardening in seconds and sealing the door shut tightly. Releasing pressure from the door, Don pants, "That should hold them."

Rachel holds up the tube that saved them in her hand quizzically and asks Don, "Side project?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," Don answers, taking it from her and returning it to his bag. She shakes her head at him and smirks, joking, "You could work for NASA or the FBI, you know."

"I'd be _captured_ by the FBI if they saw me," Don points out.

"Excuse me," Sam says sweetly into her earpiece, interrupting the pleasant banter, "But I feel the need to raise my voice: _What just happened?!_"

Starting up the stairs, Mikey replies, "We just ran into some Foot ninja, but don't worry, because _yours truly_ took care of them."

Sam rolls her eyes and says sarcastically, "My hero," her voice a little quieter than before. Raph barks out a laugh, but Leo sounds worried and stern, asking, "How did they find you? Is anyone hurt? Rachel, is your leg-"

"Relax, Leo. We're fine, thanks to a fire extinguisher and Don's quick thinking," Rachel answers calmly as they come to the fifth level, their breathing still a bit uneven after their battle. Furrowing her brow, Rachel adds, "Speaking of which, what did you do to make that fire extinguisher a rocket?"

Shrugging, Don replies, "It was a simple matter of knowing about reactants and-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You made a _rocket_? " Vanessa asks in disbelief, shaking her head. Nodding as if she can see him, Mikey says, "Yep. You shoulda seen it! It flew right over their heads. They never knew what hit them!"

Leo sighs at his immature brother, asking again softly, "Rachel, are you _sure_ that your leg is alright? Just last night you could barely walk on it."

"Don gave me some pretty strong drugs. I can hardly feel it right now," Rachel replies as they come to the next floor. Don peeks out and slips into the hallway, following the wall with his hand trailing along it. Curious, Mikey whispers, "Dude, what're ya doin'?"

"I just have a few adjustments to make," he answers, motioning for them to follow him. Shrugging, Mikey ducks into the hallway with Rachel close behind. As she sneaks down the hall, Rachel remembers another partner in crime whom she hasn't heard from, and asks quietly into her head set, "Where are you, Lily?"

"I'm on the second floor, but the door to the file room has a key pad. Without power, it's pretty much useless." Lily answers, staring at the door as if it will suddenly open if she looks at it long enough.

"Check the pocket on your right thigh," Don suggests as he comes to the elevator. "This shouldn't take long," he says to no one in particular, pulling wire cutters and a screw driver from his bag.

Lily does as she's told, pulling out what looks like a pen. Curious, she presses the end, jumping slightly when a red beam shoots out and hits the door, creating a smoking hole. Smiling, Lily whispers, "Very effective," and points the laser to the door frame. She carves the metal all around it in a clean rectangle, kicking the door down with some force from her foot. Licking her lips, she glances both ways down the corridor in fear that the noise alerted guards, and says almost inaudibly into her head set, "I think I should drop out of contact for a while. I have to be quiet, and I need to concentrate."

"No problem. Talk to you later," Vanessa replies as Lily switches off her head set. She lets herself into the room and struggles to lift the door back up again, wedging it back into its frame so as not to arouse suspicion. She then turns to look over the room before her.

It is medium sized, its walls lined with cabinets and an office desk in the center of the room with a computer on top of it. Lily steps lightly over the floor to the desk and takes a seat in the computer chair, booting up the machine. All is going according to plan when she comes to an anticipated but not yet solved obstacle: there's a password. Muttering under her breath, she pulls her palmtop from its place in her hip pocket, connecting it to the computer. She waits patiently as it loads, then, praying that her little knowledge of computer hacking can get her in, tries a few password codes. She fiddles with the device for a few minutes and is finally rewarded when the computer emits an affirmative beep.

"Yes!" she whispers excitedly, scanning the desktop icons. Lily browses through the many files, programs, and internet history, but finds nothing relevant. After a long search, she gives up, realizing that the useful information is probably on the main computer in the throne room. She turns off the computer and sighs, running a hand over her face. _'What now?'_

Her attention is caught suddenly by the dozens of beige filing cabinets she had hardly noticed twenty minutes ago. She glances to the door and still seeing no light underneath it, slides from her chair._ 'Time to do some snooping…'_

"So, where are we headed?" Sam asks Raph, hurrying her steps to keep up with his long strides.

"Now, we're gonna head up to meet Vanessa and Leo in the throne room on the seventh floor," he answers as they march down the seemingly endless corridor. Furrowing her brow, Sam wonders, "How do you think we're going to get up there? Don, Rachel and Mikey turned off the power, which leaves out the elevators, and they also jammed the door two floors up!"

Raph slows down just a bit; he hadn't thought of that. He takes in a breath to make some sharp remark, then curses, "Damn."

"Let's just stop for a minute and figure this out," Sam proposes, and she no sooner does so than the lights suddenly illuminate the hallway they're in. They squint in the sudden brightness, and Sam says, "At least now we can use the elevator-"

_"Shh!"_ Raph interrupts, holding up a finger to tell her to listen. Sam strains her ears, and hears footsteps, then a voice says loudly from around the corner and down the hall, "What was that sound?"

They hold their breath, and hear some loud cursing, followed by, "Someone destroyed room 317!"

"They can't have gone far. The door a few floors up is jammed, and we saw no one on our way up," another voice answers slowly. A third voice pipes up, reminding them, "The intruders also severed the elevator cable and fried the mechanism. They're not going anywhere."

It's times like these when Raph doesn't know whether to be impressed or annoyed with Don. The good news is, thanks to his brother's handiwork, the Foot can't get to the top floor via elevator; the bad news is, neither can he or Sam. The pair hear footsteps coming in their direction, and they look wildly toward each other, deciding upon an unspoken plan mutually: hide!

Raph leads the way on his silent feet, the two of them feeling an incredible adrenaline rush and the pounding of their heartbeats in their heads.

_'Oh, shoot!'_

_'Oh, shit!'_

They come near the end of the floor, and see two doors: the door to the stairs, and another mystery door. Raph and Sam duck into the second door, seeing that it is a cramped supply closet, and crouch on the floor, pulling off their masks so they can breathe properly. Raph pants quietly, fingering the weapon on his back in wait for an attack while Sam tries to catch her breath. She can only think of one thing: They have to get to the seventh floor without being seen. She searches the closet frantically for an escape, but she and Raph both know that the only way out is the door, which happens to be the one thing separating them from who knows how many Foot ninja. She racks her brains for a believable excuse that is not incriminating to explain why they are both in a closet at the same time there is a security breach, but the thumping of her heart in her ears and the mounting suspense make it hard to think. Raph growls beside her as the voices come closer, running his hand over his young, attractive face and through his light hair.

Inspiration hits Sam like a lightning bolt as she sees his unfamiliar face contort in thought. It's a little disturbing to think of Raph like this and she doesn't like the idea to much, but it's their only chance. Before she follows through with her plan though, she has to get something off her chest. Swallowing, she calls softly into her head set, "Mikey?"

"Yeah, babe?" he answers softly, sounding a bit concerned. She clenches her eyes shut and says very quietly, "I love you. I hope you know that."

"I uh…love you too," Mikey replies, a bit confused, though excited. This is the first time she's said that to him, and he wants to jump around like a maniac. He could practically serenade her with a big musical number right now, including back-up dancers and colorful lights. He just wants her to know how strongly he feels about her. Of course, Mikey says none of this out loud, not wanting to compromise their mission and opts to grin like a loon.

Raph's brows are furrowed bemusedly as he looks at Sam, wondering why she looks so nervous. A sound comes from the other side of the door, and Raph's brows shoot up his forehead as Sam leans forward and takes Raph's hand, shoving it up her tunic and pressing her lips hard to his seconds before the closet door is pushed open.

_! _:O

_Now THAT is sexy!_

_Raph: I can't believe you did that!_

_Sam: Neither can I. _:S

_So, another evil cliffy, MUAHAHAHAHA! And wow, __**what**__ a cliffy! I hope Mikey doesn't find out…_

_I hope you enjoy the long wait until the next chapter because unfortunately, it will be a long time. I will try my best to get another chapter up, so be patient with me._

_Please review, and have a great day!_

_The Light of Reason_


	9. The Throne Room

_Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT! They are simply one of my favourite TV shows. Yes, I am just that cool…_

_I guess the last chapter ended a bit abruptly. Gasp! What will happen next? You'll have to read to find out. Enjoy, and please review!_

_PS-I forgot to mention that Sam, Lily, Vanessa and Rachel belong to me. That is all. _:)

Ten Foot ninja hang in the doorway for a long moment watching Sam and Raph's close embrace before Sam lurches back in fake surprise, gasping with convincing shock, "Oh!"

There seems to be recognition in the ninjas' expressions, and the closest ninja breathes, "Mei Lee," in shock. The burliest ninja pushes aside the other three and looks down upon the beautiful Japanese woman and the freckled teen kneeling on the floor of the closet. Voice gravelly, he says sarcastically, "Sorry to interrupt, Miss Lee, but there has been an infiltration. If you don't mind, pull yourself away from the child for a few minutes and do your job."

Sam's eyes narrow dangerously and she stands quickly, her fierce face making up for her less than intimidating height. She pushes herself into his personal space and says in a threatening voice, "I will not stand to be spoken to in that way. Have you no respect for authority? Do you _know_ who I am?"

Frankly, she has no idea herself exactly who she's supposed to be, but Mei Lee's credentials seemed to speak for themselves, not to mention the scared hush among the lackeys behind the ninja she is confronting. _'Mei Lee must be a very powerful woman; and if she's not, I'm going to get my face smashed in…or worse.'_

Luckily, her assumption proves right as fear enters the man's eyes, and he carefully forms his answer. Straightening to emphasize his height, he says in a reluctant voice, "Please excuse my bluntness, Miss Lee, but we really do have a situation on our hands. There's been a security breach, and we are in need of your assistance." He turns and starts down the hallway, stopping to look over his shoulder and add, "You may take your _friend_ with you. Consider it a training exercise."

Raph bristles and opens his mouth to retaliate, receiving a sharp jab in the side. Sam shakes her head slightly, eyes warning, and waits until he slouches in defeat before moving her gaze from him and pulling on her mask. He tugs the black fabric over his own face and growls something under his breath as the enemy unknowingly leads him and Sam to their destination.

"You'd think that a world-wide empire would have more in its filing cabinet than bill receipts and records from past business partners…" Lily mumbles to herself as she flips through the filing cabinet. She exhales hopelessly as she slides the door shut and moves on to the sixth cabinet, pulling open its top drawer. _'As if I'll find anything.'_ She glances briefly at each heading as she flips the files, her attention wavering to the action no doubt happening a few floors up. Suddenly, a surname catches her attention. _Clements_, it reads.

_'Why would they have my last name in here?' _Lily wonders as with apprehension, she pulls out the file and opens it, eyes widening when she sees recent picture of herself, Grace and her parents. She touches her fingers gingerly to the image and scans the words on the pages following in the folder, making no sense of what she's reading. _Experiment. Multi-million dollar project. Fire. _She feels like she's spinning, and the words are all leaping off of the page in front of her, making them indecipherable. She closes the file and tucks it under her arm, pushing the drawer shut. She has to get to the bottom of this.

In a determined motion, Lily kicks down the door again, lifting and pressing it back into its frame. Then, she marches down the corridor, hearing the pounding of footsteps above her. She fears that perhaps they've heard the sound of her knocking down the door, but them realizes that if that was the case, she would have been heard the first time she entered the computer room. She also notices that the power is back on, deciding that the Foot must know about the break in. This kick starts the gears in her brain and she begins to run up the stairs toward the next floor, questions flooding her confused mind. Among all of her muddled thoughts, there are two things that are certain: That she has to get to the throne room to help out her friends, and that she needs to find out what the Foot know about her parents.

"Can you hurry up, Vanessa?" Leo asks a bit impatiently, nearly dying in the heat of the ventilation shafts. Vanessa tries to turn her head in the cramped space, only managing to make her ear face him, and she replies sarcastically, "Sure, why not? I mean, it's not like we're trying to crawl through a vent too small for a _twelve year old_, let alone someone in their twenties."

Leo rolls his eyes, and has to wonder if Raph's attitude is brushing off on Vanessa, or if she's just having her time of the month. Either way, he doesn't want to know, and although he doesn't appreciate the sass, he says nothing in hopes of keeping her in better humour. As they shuffle along on their hands and knees, voices start to become audible, beginning as muffled babble and escalating to almost clear conversation. One person, a man, sounds very flustered; a second, probably a woman, has a smooth, accented voice; the third is another man, his voice quiet but sharp with rage. Vanessa finally comes to the end of the tunnel and can see the light of a room through the slits that provide the circulation of air in the shaft. She squishes into the tight area, making space so Leo can crawl in next to her and see. It's impossible to see the owners of the voices below, so they strain their ears to hear the conversation.

"I-it seems there h-have been some…complications, Sir," the nervous man stutters. Leo cranes his neck to see who the voice belongs to and is rewarded when the man moves into his line of vision. As he suspected, it's Chaplain. The scientist anxiously smoothes a hand over his red hair, making it stick up even more. Then, another voice, one that sends shivers down his spine: "What kind of complications, Chaplain?"

_'It __**can't**__ be,' _Leo tries to convince himself, but he could never mistake that voice. He is unable to deny it to himself when he sees the figure of Oroku Saki stroll toward his minion through the slits he is peering into, as icy-eyed and cold as he remembered. Finally, the woman comes into view, although by now he's guessed that it's Karai. She steps forward as well, just as menacing as her father, and she barks, "Chaplain, need I remind you that surveying the persons entering and exiting this building was a job put on _your_ desk?"

Saki holds up a hand, hushing his daughter. He glares at Chaplain and asks in a dangerous voice, "What is the news on the turtles?"

Chaplain fiddles with his tie and replies, "It appears that they've entered the building without setting off any alarms. The only ones who have been spotted are Donatello, Michelangelo and one of the girls you mentioned."

"The others can't be far," Oroku Saki mutters, more to himself than anyone. Karai looks at Chaplain harshly another long moment, then turns to her father and informs him, "I have called all ninja to assemble here, in the throne room. They will make sure the turtles do not leave with their lives."

"_No,_" the Shredder says, and faces his puzzled daughter. "Their demise is _my _right and my right alone. My ninja may have the girls, and do whatever they please, but the turtles belong to me. I _can't_ have them getting away. After tonight, it will be over."

Leo's thoughts move to his brothers, his friends, Rachel, and he narrows his eyes hatefully. He has to agree with Saki: It will be over. However, it won't be over for him or his family. Tonight, the Shredder will be through. Leo's hand moves to his katana and he fingers it contemplatively. Vanessa's hand claps over his and he turns his head to see her serious eyes in the slats of light that run horizontally over her face as she shakes her head, whispering, "Not yet, Leo. Just wait a little longer."

He nods, glancing at his watch and wondering, '_Where __**are**__ they?'_

"We're almost to the top," Don says as they come to the last door leading upward, taking the stairs at a quick pace. Mikey and Rachel are close behind, Rachel feeling much more tired than she's ever felt in her life. Her leg has been aching for the past half hour, and she finally has to stop as the sensation worsens. She leans against the railing and pants, "Don, I think my painkillers are wearing off."

Don stops and swoops in to help, inspecting her pant leg to make sure the wound isn't leaking. He presses it lightly and hears Rachel breathe through her teeth. Reaching into his bag for the container, he apologizes, "Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's alright," Rachel answers through a forced smile, holding out her open palm eagerly for her tablets. Don doles out two morphine pills to Rachel and she pops them into her mouth, grimacing at the bitter flavour as she swallows. Pushing herself off the railing, she says, "Let's keep moving," pressing on as if nothing is wrong. Mikey smiles at her as she climbs the stairs with Don following, and compliments, "You're tough, I gotta give you that, dudette."

She smiles at him, teasing, "Thanks, you're pretty tough yourself."

"Yeah, he's quite the hero when he brings out his balloon bear blanket during the horror movie marathons which he _forces_ us to watch," Don mutters, causing Mikey to furrow his brow discontentedly. "_Not_ cool, Donnie," he says. Don just ignores him, insisting, "We should get moving, Leo's expecting us now."

"As if it's _our_ fault that the Foot ambushed us," Mikey says under his breath, quickening his pace as the come to the last door. Don places a finger over his lips to hush them, and opens the door cautiously, peeking into the hallway. He leads Rachel and Mikey in a light jog down the long, dimly lit corridor, passing silk tapestries of old Japanese legends. Usually, Don would have stopped to translate the beautiful script and learn about the magical past of Japan, but today there is no time to immerse himself into the unique Japanese culture. They soon reach the end of the hallway and find themselves face to face with enormous mahogany double doors, its shiny surface simply decorated with the large red claw representing the Foot clan. Standing like sentries on either side are large golden statues of ferocious dragons, teeth bared and claws drawn unwelcomingly. On the opposite side of the door, there is a hostile conversation that is even more unwelcoming than the dragon statues. Mikey kneels on the soft red carpet beneath him and presses his ear to the door's smooth surface, all his years of eavesdropping coming in handy. He listens closely, a few words here and there wafting to him. Then, an entirely clear sentence reaches his ears: "Yes, sir. I will go check on the soldiers."

"It's Chaplain," Mikey breathes, jumping from his sitting position, "He's coming."

Don darts behind one of the large golden dragons and Mikey grabs Rachel's wrist, pulling her behind the other with him. They kneel and duck their heads, keeping their breathing quiet. The doors swing open and Chaplain enters the corridor, muttering quietly to himself. Suddenly, Rachel feels a jabbing pain in her thigh and realizes that one of the shuriken in Mikey's belt is digging into where her wound is. She bites down on her fist to keep herself from crying out, waiting for the sound of Chaplain's footsteps to disappear. When the door at the end of the hall makes a clicking sound and they know he is gone, Rachel stands up and looks at her thigh, seeing a hole in her pants. Through the pierced fabric, she sees that her wound has begun to bleed afresh and she sighs, clamping a hand over it. Upon seeing this, Mikey motions for Don to come over, looking worried. He mouths, "I'm sorry," as Don inspects it quickly, pulling another strip of gauze from his bag and covering the cut.

"That should do it," Don murmurs, putting his tools back in his bag. He then turns on his head set and whispers to Leo, "We're outside the door, and there's no sign of Raph, Sam or Lily. What should we do?"

Leo glances at his watch again and licks his lips nervously, going over the plan in his head. He finally breathes, "We don't have much time, and they're on their way. Get the distraction ready. It'll buy us some time."

Don nods, his hand diving into his bag and producing a palm-sized ball that looks like a futuristic toy. He waves his hands at Mikey and Rachel to stand back, and slowly, he pulls the handle of the door, opening it just wide enough to fit his hand through. He peeks in and sees the back of the Shredder and his daughter looking up at a large screen with strange formulas and schematics rolling over it. Taking in a deep breath, he tosses the ball into the room and crouches, covering his head. Upon impact, the device explodes loudly, filling the whole room with thick, heavy smoke. Pulling his weapon out of its hold, he pulls open the door and rushes in, followed by Mikey and Rachel.

"That's our cue," Vanessa says, and Leo kicks out the end of the ventilation tunnel, leaping down and drawing his katana. Vanessa pulls her shirt over her mouth and nose and jumps down as well, landing on the red carpeted floor. She can hear coughing somewhere in the sea of smoke, but it's almost impossible to see her hand in front of her face, let alone anyone else. She squints, then thinking of a better idea, she closes her eyes and listens carefully. To her left, she hears the rush of air around a moving figure, and she follows the sound, reaching out blindly and finding Leo's shell. He reaches behind him and feeling her hand, he gives it a tug and they move through the choke of smoke.

Once they are on the top floor, Raph remarks that dark smoke is billowing out of the throne room. He glances at Sam and nods, assuring her that this is the signal. The large group of ninja that joined them as they mounted the floors leading to the top begins to run toward the throne room, and Sam and Raph follow their example, coming to the rich wood doors frothing with smoke. They pull them open and the dark smoke pours into the hallway, creating poor visibility. They enter the room, and can see that the smoke is dissipating. It is easier to make out the dark figures moving about, and chancing to turn on her head set, Sam asks, "Where are you guys?"

"You're here?" Vanessa murmurs through her shirt, her heart rate picking up. Just knowing Raph is in the room makes her feel relieved, and she asks quietly, "What happened to you?"

"Long story," Sam replies, thinking of the exchange in the closet and feeling a lump forming in her stomach. Leo cuts in, informing, "Vanessa and I are near the back, by the big screen."

Hearing the exchange, Mikey squints through the smoke and makes out a pair in the spot Leo indicated. Don strains his eyes as well, seeing Leo's distinct turtle silhouette. Starting toward Leo, Don says into his headset, "We're on our way over."

"Sam and Raph, you two should come over as well," Leo suggests quietly, calculating the movements of the trio coming towards him. He guesses that the one on the right with the bouncy gait is Mikey, the one on the far left with the bulge on their hip is Don, and that the one limping in the center is Rachel. Leo stiffens a bit seeing this. _'She wasn't limping like that earlier,'_ he remarks worriedly, thinking of a way to keep Rachel safely off to the side during the impending battle. When they draw close enough, Leo's eyes narrow on her fatigued face and weak posture. Rachel has seen that look before, and knows that a lecture of some form is coming to her. In an attempt to postpone it, she blurts into her headset before he can say anything, "Aren't you two coming too?"

Raph and Sam know that the question is aimed at them, and sharing one glance they have an uncomfortable conversation. They aren't going to let what happened in the closet affect the oncoming fight, and they won't tell Mikey and Vanessa until they absolutely have to. Swallowing, Raph replies nearly inaudibly, holding Sam's gaze, "We're kinda stuck here for now, guys."

"Why?" Vanessa asks quietly. Sam turns away from Raph as he closes his eyes, her cheeks burning beneath her mask in shame. "It's complicated," he answers softly, looking at the back of Sam's head for a second before he looks straight forward.

_'I shouldn't stress over this! It's not like I had much choice, I mean, I had five seconds to make up a story to keep us from being killed! It's not like I like Raph, I mean, __**like **__like him or anything. It was just a play kiss...a very good, convincing play kiss, but a play kiss nonetheless! It didn't __**mean**__ anything…'_ Sam tries to persuade herself out of guilt, yet she can't help stealing looks at Raph, hoping to figure out what he's thinking about her. Gathering nothing from his masked face, Sam pushes her anxious thoughts out of her head, now noticing that the smoke has nearly cleared and that she can see the small line that Mikey, Rachel, Leo, Don and Vanessa have formed on the opposite side of the room. Seeing Mikey's face, she bites her lip, fretting, _'What am I going to do?'_

As the smoke finally clears, Oroku Saki and Karai can fully see both their army and their enemy. Their expressions are identical masks of fury, but after a moment, Saki's lips turn up in a smirk as he snaps his fingers, the crowd of Foot to his left becoming two curved lines that barricade the open door, one in front of the other. Raph and Sam in their disguises are caught in the wave of organized motion and separated, each hoping that no one notices them scrambling to find a place in the formation.

"So nice of you to drop in," the Shredder sneers in his smooth, glassy voice, his grin now spread widely over his features. Leo maintains his stance, one katana held out in front of him and the other out to the side, shielding Rachel protectively. He eyes his opponent carefully for a long moment before his eyes flit to Karai, her position offensive and menacing. Sounding falsely cordial, Saki drawls, "Where are your brother and the other two girls? I was almost certain they would be here. If they are, I suggest they reveal themselves so they may say goodbye to you."

Sam tilts her head to look at Raph, who is in the front line with her, three ninja down. He jerks his head 'no' almost undetectably and Sam returns her attention to the display, her heart drumming in suspense. She's curious as to why Leo is just waiting; however, she trusts Leo's judgement and contents herself by flicking her gaze between Mikey, Vanessa and the man she assumes is the Shredder. He stands erectly, his sharp features chiselled into a hard expression that omits hatred and sick humour, and Sam can't help feeling that he knows she and Raph are frauds. _'Don't be stupid, he can't know.'_

Oroku Saki chortles darkly and turns his back on them, walking to a long, black lacquered table lining the side of the large room. He lifts something off of it that gleams in the light as he slides it onto his arm, facing the room again. He raises his freshly sharpened gauntlet so he can admire it for a moment and then returns to the center of the room, lowering his arm to chest level. His fingers glide along the twin blades, his eyes seeming to glint as he says carelessly, "I guess that if they will not reveal themselves, I will simply have to get on with it. It's quite disappointing, really; you four were such challenging opponents."

The Shredder looks directly at Leo for a second and then motions for a group of ninja to capture the small cluster of adversaries. Leo's feet shift and he moves to be in front of Rachel and closer to Mikey, ordering, "Mikey, look after Rachel."

"But Leo, we need Mikey. He's a strong fighter," Don says, eyeing the advancing ninja. Leo's jaw sets and he says, "I know. That's why I want him to protect her."

"Leo, if you think that I am just going to _stand_ here-"

Rachel can't finish her sentence as Leo charges, his blades slicing the air. Don vaults in behind his brother, followed by Vanessa who slides through the legs of one of the Foot soldiers, planting her hands on the floor and swinging her legs back around to knock him over. Mikey stays in front of Rachel just as Leo told him to, fighting off the onslaught of ninja. Leo blocks the weapons swung at him with his katana, using his feet and elbows to deliver blows to the ninja fighting him. His opponents are all taken out easily-except for one very tall, lanky ninja with skill unmatched by most of the other lackeys. Leo fakes, and he blocks it; he stabs, and his adversary dodges; he rolls, and the ninja is ready for him when he stands to attack. _'It's as if they know exactly what I'm going to do before I do it…and where have I seen that style before?'_

He has no time to ponder this as he receives a hard hit from behind and stumbles forward, turning in time to see a new attacker leap in the air with a sword held high above his head. Leo holds up his katana to block and is taken by surprise when the other ninja he was fighting jumps and kicks his comrade hard in the side, sending him flying. He takes off his mask to reveal a fair, youthful face covered in freckles and topped by a mop of light hair, complaining, "I can hardly breathe in this dang thing. As for _this_ bugger…"

Leo is confused as he takes off his digital watch, but then he relaxes, saying, "You have no idea how glad I am that it's you, Raph."

"Who were ya expectin', the Tooth Fairy?" Raph jokes, smirking as he pivots and grabs a ninja mid-attack, flinging him into the three that are fighting Don. Don looks toward the source of the projectile curiously, his face brightening as he asks, "Where have you been, Raph?"

Punching a ninja hard in the face and knocking another over with a double kick, Raph replies, "Me an' Sam've been here the whole time."

"Where is she?" Mikey asks loudly from his place, hooking a ninja around the neck with a nunchaku and bringing his face toward his knee. A loud shout comes from one of the ninja fighting Vanessa as his smaller partner jumps onto his back, driving him face first into the floor. Once the ninja pushes the pressure points in the larger ninja's shoulder, neck and temple, they stand and pull off their face mask, revealing a beautiful olive complexion highlighted by dark almond eyes, long black hair and full pink lips. She struggles to take off her watch as well and the illusion dissolves.

"Right here!" Sam replies, glad to be returned to her regular smiling self. The smile and wind are knocked out of her as someone grabs her around the neck from behind, lifting her into the air. The Shredder's gauntlet lands on her throat and rests there, poised threateningly.

"Make one move, and the girl dies" he growls, his hand tensed for the kill. Vanessa, Rachel and the turtles freeze, not daring to risk Sam's neck. Leo looks intently at his enemy, his brow furrowing as he catches sight of a flash of white floating in the air by Oroku Saki. Before he can even blink, there is the sound of metal upon metal. Then, two things happen: Saki doubles over and Sam falls from his hold, receiving a small cut on her nose from his weapon. She gasps for air on the floor, getting to her knees as she fills her lungs greedily. Oroku Saki straightens up and searches for his attacker, taken aback by a person clothed in navy that appears from thin air. Sam's saviour pulls off their mask and Lily's face is revealed, her green eyes trained steadily on the Shredder.

"You will regret that, child!" he snarls, raising his gauntlet. He stops dead when she lifts something from her side and points it toward him. Now Leo knows what made the sound when Oroku Saki was hit, and can merely look on in shock as Lily aims a revolver at the Shredder's abdomen.

_Whoa. That…took…so…LONG! Hopefully it was worth the wait, though. Alright, so I guess now we know that Lily means business! As for the Shredder, I hope he can talk his way out of this one._

_I am hoping to get the next one up ASAP, but you know what happens…still, it's good to dream. The huge epic battle is soon coming to an end, but don't be sad, because then there will be more kissy chapters! YAY!_

_Thanks for reading, and please review! _:D

_PS-What do you think about Raph and Sam? Tell me what you think should happen! _


	10. Resurfacing

_Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine, they belong to Eastman and Laird or Mirage or 4kids or something. However, I own Sam, Rachel, Lily and Vanessa. Since the December of '07, baby! _:D

_So I left you with another cliffy, didn't I? Well, I'll just have to remedy that. _

_I hope you enjoy, and please review! Thanks!_

Sam can't help gaping up at Lily as she aims the gun, her thumb resting lightly on the trigger. Lily sees that Sam is still on her knees and says to her softly but firmly, "Go stand beside Mikey, Sam. Quickly."

Obediently Sam gets to her feet and scurries over to her boyfriend, turning to look back at Lily and the man she holds at gun point. Mikey's hand discreetly finds hers and her stomach drops as her mind flashes yet again to her and Raph in the closet. She can still feel his lips against hers and how his warm hand, nearly paralyzed from surprise, felt like it was burning on the skin of her stomach. It wasn't necessarily unpleasant, just…weird. She doesn't pull her hand away and smack herself repeatedly like she wants to; instead, she gives Mikey's hand a comforting squeeze, her eyes flicking over to Raph out of habit before they return to Lily and Oroku Saki.

"Where did you get that?" Saki finally manages to force out, eyeing first Lily's face and then her revolver apprehensively. She jerks her head to the door and replies, "Your guard on the fifth floor was sleeping on the job."

Donatello can't take his eyes off the scene in front of him. Saki's mortality is all so glaringly obvious as Lily points the gun at him that Don can't believe no one has ever thought about this. Granted, he wouldn't be able to do this himself, but he thought at least Bishop would have come to this conclusion. As he ponders this revelation, he can't help wondering whether Oroku Saki or Lily is more dangerous right now. He has a millennium of skill in ninjitsu behind him, but she has the nerve and the ammo to pose a threat. It frightens him a bit and, admittedly…kind of turns him on. _'Don't lose your head, Don,' _he instructs himself, eyes trained on the silent battle before him. The Shredder stares at Lily's emotionless face for a good thirty seconds, then his lips sweeping into an attempt at a relaxed and slightly condescending smile, he chuckles softly. "Miss Clements, you and I both know that you could never shoot me."

Lily waits motionlessly for a long moment before answering, "You're right." She cocks the gun in her hand, adding, "At least, not without some answers first."

She lifts a file folder from its place at her left hip, and as recognition flashes in his eyes, Saki's smile becomes infinitely more confident. Voice sarcastic, he gushes, "Surely, Miss Clements, someone as intelligent as yourself can figure that out."

She stares hard at him before he begins, "David and Catherine Clements. Both absolutely brilliant scientists, I must say, and always so dedicated to their work. I even offered them a job." He suddenly frowns. "Unfortunately, they did not approve of my vision, or my intentions for the technology they were inventing at the time. Unwaveringly loyal, your parents were. I must give them credit there."

Lily's gun hand lowers slightly, but remains fixed at his abdomen as a reminder that this is no truce. Feeling a bit more confident, Saki relaxes and continues, "They were working on some very advanced technology that had interesting potential in my particular business. It was extremely strong, durable armour that was flexible and light. The substance was a thin, seemingly spandex material that was equivalent in strength and protection to iron. However, the property that most attracted me was its capability to maintain the atmosphere appropriate to the wearer. It was intended for space exploration, underwater searches and search and rescue missions. However I had other," he pauses, "_uses_ in mind.

"As I said, I tried to employ your parents. I offered them handsome salaries, their very own laboratory, and family benefits they were not given at their job. But again, as I said, they were fiercely loyal to their employer. When attempting to draft them didn't work, I tried to buy the project, but your parents were adamant that I not be allowed to have the experiment. I finally had to take matters into my own hands. Miss Clements, do you know how your parents died?"

Lily knows that he's setting her up for something, and doesn't want to answer. Pushing down the foreboding thought in her head, she nervously swallows, replying, "They died in an explosion at their work building. I saw it on the news."

"Miss Clements," he says, ever politely, "you are correct; but that is not the whole story. Allow me to enlighten you.

"On the night your parents died, I paid them a visit. They were the only two remaining in the building save for a few security guards. It was much too easy for me and my soldiers to get in. Your parents hardly put up a fight when they were seized." His jaw tightens. "Although, your mother did manage to erase all the data on the experiment before she was apprehended. Such a waste of knowledge. It's a shame, really, that they didn't take my first offer. It could have saved some effort on my part and some heartbreak on yours."

His face twists into an arrogant smile as he says, "I still remember one of the last things your father said to me. I had asked him what his children would do without him and his wife. Would you like to know his answer?"

Lily is stark white, and her heart is pounding in her head in anticipation, although she pretends that she has no curiosity. The truth is, she has wondered for the past four years what her parents were doing before they died, what they were thinking and feeling. Whether they were thinking about her and Grace at the time. If they even _knew_ what was going on as the building exploded and slowly burned. She remembers the camera shots of the scene perfectly: there was debris all over the street, the flames licking the frame of the building clean of life as the smoke curled in the red sky, blotting out the stars.

"He said," Saki ploughs on, "'I know that my girls could go on if they knew that their parents died to protect them and others.' Then I asked him, 'What good are you for protection if you're dead?'" He grins horribly and relishing the pained look on Lily's face he continues, "After I dealt with them, we took the suit and placed some of the chemicals they were using next to a furnace in the building and…I believe you know the rest. I am still disappointed that their talent was lost, but their advancement has been profitable to my clan." He looks to the line of Foot to his left, saying, "I used the technology your parents created for all of my Foot ninjas' suits, and they are the greatest ever made. And all of this has come from the death of two. It all seems worth it, doesn't it?"

Lily doesn't know what to do. She wants to fall to her knees and cry. She wants to scream obscenities and kick things. She wants to pull the trigger and wipe that smug look off the Shredder's face. Most of all, she wants to feel_ something_. But there's nothing inside her, and she goes entirely numb. It feels as if the world has stopped and that she's frozen solid in it as she lets the gun slip and fall from her hand. When it hits the floor with a metallic clunk, everything except her resumes motion and pandemonium ensues. Ninja are advancing at a great speed; Rachel and Vanessa are facing off with Karai, their weapons flashing in the light; Raph and Leo are fighting Oroku Saki, the two of them taking lethal stabs at him; Mikey and Sam are knocking down ninja left and right; and Don is shouting something inaudible at her, trying to shove his way through fighting ninja. She doesn't realize why until she receives a hard kick in the back and falls face first on the black tile floor, hitting her nose and splitting her lip. Upon impact, she returns to regular speed and rolls out of the way of a descending sword just in time to avoid being cut in two. She collects her thoughts and looks around wildly, seeing her gun at the same moment as her attacker. He makes a move for it as she gets to her feet and races to it, reaching it when he is bent over to pick it up. Using all her force, she knees the ninja in the nose, immediately following up with a spin kick to the cheek. He lands hard on his back and when he makes no sign of getting up, Lily grabs his weapon. Raising it high above her head, she brings it down hard on the revolver, smashing it to pieces.

She is visibly shaking as a ninja comes at her and she barely has time to block his attack. She punches at his face and misses, swings her leg around to trip him and has her shin nearly crushed as he brings his foot down on it. Lily stands and aims a beautifully arched kick at him only to have her ankle caught. He twists it and she falls to the floor, wriggling her foot out of his hold and pushing herself up off the slick tile. Lily turns to see Don smack the ninja brutally in the face with his bo staff and then kick him hard in the chest, sending him reeling. He stops to look at Lily who is still on the floor, his expression unreadable. She looks timidly up at him and he reaches out a hand to help her up. Lily feels her lips spread into a weak smile and takes his offered hand, standing up. She is about to say something to him when she notices a quartet of oncoming ninja. Don gives her a look that clearly says, "Here we go again," and lunges at the lackeys, swinging his bo staff at them. Lily holds up her fists to an advancing ninja, saying to herself, _'Bring it on.'_

Vanessa and Rachel are having a difficult time against Karai, working hard to keep her at bay. Vanessa notices that Rachel is tiring, and fears that in less than ten minutes she'll have to be propped up by someone if she even wants to stand. In an attempt to hurry up the fight, Vanessa unleashes one of her best and most effective attacks: When Karai's sword clashes with hers, she rotates the blade and sends Karai's sword flying. She moves in, punching Karai's chin from below, and Karai falls back a bit, regaining her balance just in time to see Vanessa jump in the air and do a sharp vertical turn, kicking her squarely in the chest. Karai hastily executes a back flip and lands on her feet, standing to face her enemy. She is grabbed by Vanessa who throws her into two ninja that are fighting Sam and Mikey. The two lackeys fall pitifully to the floor upon impact, but Karai does a summersault in mid-air, landing close to Leo who is fighting Saki.

_'Oh, crap,'_ Vanessa says to herself, knowing that she just made the situation worse. Karai straightens slowly, picking up her sword from where it landed and says, "I see we meet again, Leonardo."

Leo is pulled in both directions, knowing that Raph needs his help against the Shredder, but also knowing that Karai could attack them at any moment. He decides that he won't give her the chance. Swiftly turning from the Shredder, Leo slices a blade at her, their swords colliding loudly. He brings his other katana in, trying to pry Karai's sword out of her hands. With a sharp tug, she pulls her weapon away, stabbing at him and having her move blocked. Leo sweeps his leg around and she jumps over it, kicking out her foot and just missing his face. He intercepts another swing of her blade, pushing her away hard enough that Karai moves back a few steps. With deadly grace, Leo leaps over her head, executing a flip and landing with his back to her. He slashes out as he turns, Karai blocking it and attempting to jab him with a small knife she's pulled from her belt. Leo slides down into a split, bringing his legs back together behind him and lifting himself into a handstand, kicking out both feet. Karai rolls away and crouches, waiting until he slashes with his katana, and strikes, missing his plastron by a hair. It's like some complicated dance, their moves smooth and hard although not choreographed. However, all songs must end, and the one that only they can hear as they fight is no different: As Karai performs a flying kick, Leo blocks her blow with a forearm and then hooking his arms under hers from behind as she lands, he throws her at her father as he raises his arm to swipe at Raph. She hits her head hard on the metal of the suit underneath his robe and crumples to the ground, not moving.

Saki doesn't even seem to notice his daughter is in pain, giving her a disappointed look before attacking Raph again. Raph stabs at him with his weapons but falls over as he receives a strong kick to the carapace. He loses the ability to draw breath and glances up with narrowed eyes to see Saki's gauntlet flash above him. A blade stops the gauntlet in its path and Leo uses all his strength to force the Shredder's arm back, aiming a blow at his stomach. He misses as Saki moves to the side and closes his hand on Leo's blade, pulling the sword from his grasp and leaving the turtle with only one katana. Leo blocks the Shredder's attack with his remaining sword, sliding through his legs and slashing at his back as he emerges on the opposite side. Raph is on his feet, clutching the front of his shell. He looks up and sees Leo and Oroku Saki fighting, noticing at the same moment that Karai has also gotten to her feet and is sneaking up on Leo. Sais in hand, he races at her and leading with his shoulder knocks her to the ground as she pulls back to stab Leo. She falls on her back and Raph snarls, "That's what ya get fer fightin' dirty."

Karai stands and her knuckles whiten on the handle of her sword as she clenches her hand. Raph twirls a sai lazily in his hand and gets into a fighting stance, saying in a low voice, "This is gonna make my day."

Lily blocks a dragon punch and turns, shoving her opponent with her shoulder. She then swings her leg around in a kick, her foot brushing his side as he dodges. She blocks again and ducks, kicking him hard in the shin. The ninja falls back and Lily stands, relieved that she's finally taken that one down. Her breathing is heavy and her muscles ache every time she moves them. She glances over at Rachel and sees just how tired she is, feeling less sorry for herself. It's not like she has an extreme injury like poor Rachel, who kicks a ninja in the side with much effort and follows with another kick in the back that makes him land in a face plant.

"Lily!" Don shouts at her and she turns her head to the side, seeing a ninja coming toward her. She holds up her hands defensively in front of her face, blocking one hit and dodging another. She hits his nose with her forearm and twists to jab him in the stomach with her elbow. He catches her well aimed blow and his fingers close around the bicep of her opposite arm, holding her to him. Pulling her close enough so he can whisper in her ear, he hisses, "I was there the night your parents were killed. Although my Master spared you the details, I thought you'd like to hear about how your mother screamed when I broke her ribs. I plan to make you scream just as loudly."

Lily grits her teeth and brings her heel down hard on his toe, tearing herself from his grasp. Her fist comes in to hit his jaw, but he catches her by the wrist, swinging her around and slamming her hard into the wall. Lily's head snaps back, hitting the wall, and her shoulder pops, pain roaring to life in her skull and arm. She gasps and clenches her eyes as she slumps to the floor, clutching her arm as her throat burns with unshed tears. She bites her lip and says to herself, _'I can't cry now. That would be giving him the satisfaction.'_

She curls her arm into her body and uses her free uninjured arm to pull her body up the wall into an upright position. She opens her eyes to see her attacker with a bleeding, broken nose and Don standing over him with his bo staff held offensively. She pushes herself off the wall and walks over to Don. He goes into medic mode and examines her, asking, "How do you feel? Can you feel your arm?"

"I've been better, but yes," Lily replies, and then insists, "Don, we have to get out of here. Rachel and I are in no shape to fight, and no one can afford to look after us."

"I know," he says, pressing her shoulder in a few places. Sighing, he says almost to himself, "I think it's dislocated. If we can hold out just a bit longer-"

Don no sooner says those words and there is a loud cry of pain. They both look toward the source of the sound and see Sam sitting on the floor, clutching her ankle as a Foot ninja pulls back his bo staff for another hit. Mikey snaps his head toward her and narrows his eyes, using his nunchacku to disarm and knock out the ninja he is fighting without even looking at him. He then charges at the assassin looming over Sam and bowls him over, landing on top of him. Putting down his weapons, he proceeds to beat the ninja senseless with his fists, ignoring Sam's calling of his name. She fears that he's going to kill the man, and taking in a deep breath, Sam bellows, "Michelangelo, that's enough! He's down!"

Mikey stops at her exclamation and stands slowly, glaring down at the man who merely passes a groan through his swollen lips as he keels over onto his side. Mikey steps over the ninja and rushes to Sam's side, kneeling down next to her and asking, "Are you okay? Did he break your ankle?"

"I don't know," Sam replies as Mikey touches her ankle lightly, checking for swelling. Halfway through his inspection he asks, "Does it hurt?" touching the inside of her ankle. She flinches at the pain that flares to his touch and replies through a grimace, "Only when you do that."

"Sorry," he apologizes sincerely, his blue eyes big and earnest as he tucks a piece of loose hair behind her ear. Sam hurriedly looks down, feeling guilty about what happened between her and Raph. To avoid his eyes without seeming like she's trying to look away from him, Sam looks up at the scene of battle in front of her. She now realizes that the reason she and Mikey were able to sit and converse for a minute uninterrupted is because most of the Foot ninja are unconscious or too badly injured to move. The only remaining fighters on the opposing side are two Foot Elite, a handful of ninja, Oroku Saki and Karai. All of them are occupied by one of the other three turtles, Vanessa or Rachel. Sam notices that Lily is holding her arm and watching as Don disarms a ninja, promptly kicking him hard in the chest. He falls back about six feet and splits the top of the Shredder's desk as he lands, accidentally hitting a small remote on it. The large television screen that stretches across most of one wall flicks on, showing a blue desktop. Don's blood begins to pump faster as an idea forms in his head. He looks at Leo who is fighting the Shredder and then to Raph and Karai. The four of them, he notes, are fighting awfully close to the screen…

With newfound energy, Donatello rushes toward Leo and the Shredder. As Leo ducks, the Shredder slices, surprised when something hard stops his twin blades. He turns to see Don, who hits him in the face with the end of his bo staff, aggravating the man greatly. Leo blocks Oroku Saki's next blow and lunges, leading with his sword as he shouts, "Be careful, Don!"

"I know what I'm doing Leo," Don replies, dodging the Shredder's attack and aiming his strike at the man's abdomen. He falls back a step and resumes fighting, finally in the perfect position for Don's plan. Don rolls away from another slash of the Shredder's gauntlet and runs to the enormous screen. Working quickly, he fishes two small explosive devices from his bag and attaches them to the braces that connect the screen to the wall. He sets the detonation for ten seconds and backs away from the screen. Satisfied with his work, he turns and bolts, heading toward Raph. As Karai goes to attack Raphael, he feels himself being ripped away from the fray and sees that Don has snatched his wrist in flight, dragging him away from his adversary. Angry that he no longer has the opportunity to shred Karai to pieces, he demands, "What the hell are ya doin', Don?"

"Saving your shell," Don answers shortly, shouting a second later, "Leo! Get away from there!"

Leo, surprised, turns to Don but whirls back around when he hears an amplified boom. He sees the screen shake through the clouds of smoke that surround it and sheathing his katana, he races to his brothers. The screen tilts dangerously forward and collapses upon the Shredder and Karai. He faces the wreckage and sees that Karai's legs are trapped beneath the screen, but can't find the Shredder. Karai glares at the group and snarls, "You will not escape!"

"Actually, I think we will," Raph retorts, smirking as he pulls his sais from his belt and holds them menacingly. A restraining hand lands on his shoulder, and Leo says, "It's over, Raph. Leave her be. We have nothing against Karai."

Disbelieving, Raph shouts, "How can ya say that? She's been tryin' ta kill us for more than two years, an' you jus' wanna let her go? Who says she ain't gonna nurse her 'daddy' back ta health in a few months? When's it gonna end, Leo?"

"Raph-" Leo begins to scold, but stops short when the rubble begins to move. From the ruins, the Shredder stands up and stares fiercely at them for a moment. He then grins maliciously and sneers, "You cannot defeat me! I am all powerful!"

"Somebody's full of himself," Sam mutters from her place on the floor as Mikey stands slowly, holding out an arm protectively in front of her. Don, Raph and Leo, shifting into offensive positions, draw their weapons, preparing to attack. Lily, holding one arm to her chest, is frightened by the scene before her, her free hand closing tensely on her thigh. She feels a bump and remembers that she still has her laser cutter in her pocket. Lily slips her hand into her pocket and pulls it out, running her thumb along the smooth metal. Inhaling deeply, she moves quickly forward, passing the three brothers who stand at the ready. Thrusting her good arm out, she aims the laser at the Shredder's stomach, pressing the button. The beam penetrates the thin obi he wears and the metal exosuit underneath it, reaching the soft flesh of the utrom terror inside. Oroku Saki shrieks and falls to his knees, the mechanical arms shielding where the alien resides, the cries loud and agonizing although Lily is no longer burning him with her laser. She looks at him for a long moment in shock, unable to move until she hears the blaring of nearing sirens.

_'They must have heard all the explosions,'_ she says to herself, looking at the big window to her right. Leo is the first to make a move to escape and strides to Rachel, wrapping an arm around her. Draping her arm across his shoulders and acting as a crutch, he guides her to the window, calling out, "It's time to go!"

Mikey bends over and lifts Sam into his arms despite her protests and follows Leo to the window, Raph and Vanessa behind him. Don takes Lily's hand and gives it a little tug, pulling her toward the rest of the infiltrators. Leo hoists open the window and steps onto the ledge outside, helping Rachel find solid footing. The rest exit the same way, and the eight of them shuffle along the foot-wide ledge with their backs to the wall, looking down at the police cars with their blue and red flashing lights seven storey's below. Once they reach the corner, Leo, who is in front, pulls a device from his belt that looks like a flashlight with a metal claw where the bulb should be. He points it downward at the next rooftop and flicks the switch. The claw springs from the contraption and flies to its target, a long tail of rope waving behind it. It clamps tightly onto a tall rod atop the roof and Leo pulls to assure that it is securely hooked onto it. He wraps the excess rope around an outcrop of metal on the side of the Foot building and ties it taught, then removes his belt. He slings the brown cloth over the rope and clenches the two ends in one hand, his other arm winding tightly around Rachel's waist.

"Are you ready?" Leo asks quietly, seeing the slightly nervous look on Rachel's face. She nods and smiles tiredly, replying jokingly, "Always."

With this encouragement, Leo pushes off the ledge and they soar down the rope. Rachel sees in her mind for a few seconds the image of the vibrant green Amazon jungle flying by, feeling a rush as she imagines they are travelling down a zip cord. The other six follow and land soundly on the cement lip of the rooftop. Don snips the rope and retrieves the hook by unlatching its mechanism, returning it to his bag. After a long silence, Vanessa asks quietly, "Do you think he's gone?"

They all know who 'he' is, but none of them can reply as they all gaze at the Foot building, the slate coloured smoke wafting out of the open window on the top floor the only sign they were ever there. Finally, Mikey answers, "If he isn't, he won't bother any of us for a while."

_YAY! They got out! But BOO! Shredder's a meanie! _D:

_I'm sorry that this is very late, I've had exams and I had to do a lot of tweaking to this to make it work, but I'm very satisfied. We learned two things about Don in this chapter:_

_1. He has a thing for explosives._

_2. Lily being all scary and intense…kind of turns him on _XD

_By the way, just so you know, this is_ _4,533 words long. _*keels over and sleeps*

_Thank you very much for reading and please review!_

_The Light of Reason_


	11. Return Home

_Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT, Master Splinter or the various other characters in the series. I only own Vanessa, Rachel, Lily, Sam and Grace (since December 2007, baby!) _:D

_So the last chapter was very epic, if I do say so myself, and this one shapes up to be…maybe not epic, but there will (hopefully) be problem resolution. Hooray for honesty!_

_Lily: You don't have to rub it in. _):

_Me: You should have thought about that before you lied, missy._

_Lily: But you wrote the story!_

_Me: Excuses, excuses. Don't blame others for your failings._

_I hope you enjoy, and please review! _:D

The lair is totally dark when they return except for the faint glow of candlelight that emits from the crack under Master Splinter's bedroom door. The digital clock that is visible from where they stand reads 1:46. Don leads the way to his lab, and the group tiptoes past Master Splinter's room, not wanting to rouse him. They all jump three inches when the door slides open and the light hits them, a whiskered nose poking out the door. Voice warm, the old rat says with a smile, "I am very glad to see you all home and safe."

He then notices that Sam is cradled in Mikey's arms, Rachel is leaning on Leonardo for support, Raph is holding a hand over his plastron, Lily has her arm curled into her body, and they are all sporting cuts and bruises. Eyes concerned, he murmurs, "I may have spoken too soon. What has happened?"

"It's a long story, but I have to get everyone fixed up first," Don tells his father, and directs the small clump of people to his lab. He clears a long chrome table on the far wall of all his books and papers, laying a thin mattress over the cold, hard metal. With his fingers, he motions Mikey forward and Mikey steps up to the table, setting Sam down gently on the mattress. Sam stretches out her leg and Don lifts it, prodding it gently with his fingers. He concludes, "It's a bad sprain. Once it's been wrapped up, elevated and you've had some aspirin, it should heal in a few days. Mike, can you get the wrap for me?"

Mikey finds the wrap in the drawer Don points to and hands it to Don, who winds the tan fabric around Sam's ankle. He fastens it with two small metal clips and smiles, saying, "Good as new. Leo, can you go get the aspirin and some water from the kitchen? I have a feeling Sam's not the only one who's going to need it."

Leo hurries out of the room on his quest and Don with Mikey's help eases Sam down from the table, ushering her to a comfortable chair in the corner. He pulls over a pile of books and places a cushion on top, allowing her to elevate her ankle. Leo returns with the medicine and hands her a tablet, pouring water into one of the cups from the jug in his hand. She knocks it back and makes a face as the bitterness hits her taste buds, making Mikey grin.

"Alright, who's next?" Don asks, looking around at his patients. Vanessa nudges Raph forward, even as he grumbles, "I'm alright, I'm alright! He should be checkin' on Rachel first."

"Come on over, Raph," Don instructs, and inspects the front of Raph's shell. Fingering a small dent, he says, "Judging by the force he kicked you with, you're lucky that your shell didn't crack, Raph. However, just to be sure it won't crack next time, I'm going to put some varnish on it."

Raph sighs in annoyance, unimpressed by the way Don is fussing over his small injury. Don stands and walks over to a small cabinet on the wall, opening it and removing a tiny bottle that looks like nail polish from it. He kneels in front of Raph and unscrews the top, brushing the thin, transparent liquid onto the point of impact. Don blows lightly on it, encouraging it to dry, then says as he replaces the cap and stands, "That should do it."

Raph mumbles a "Thanks," and moves back to where Vanessa stands, welcomed by her open arms. Raph wraps his arms around her in a hug, rubbing her back and resting his chin on the top of her head. It's funny and cute that Raph, who stands a head taller than Vanessa and has double the muscle mass, is being cuddled like a big teddy bear. The scene makes Rachel giggle, but it dies in her throat when Don says, "It's your turn, Rachel."

She pushes off of Leo's side and hobbles to the table, using her arms to push herself up onto the edge of the makeshift bed. A sharp pain erupts on her leg, but she manages to smile, spreading her arms out and joking, "Check me out, doctor."

Don can't help but smile at her humour, looking into the hole in Rachel's pants, courtesy of Mikey, to see her wound. He hooks his fingers onto the fabric and pulls from either side, ripping the material to create a larger hole in her pants. Don then peels off the bandage and sees that the bleeding has stopped, reporting, "I'm happy to say that your leg has suffered no more physical damage. The rest of you, on the other hand…" he trails off, looking at a long cut on her cheek. She shrugs, saying, "I know what I signed up for, and I'll accept what comes from it. Besides, it's just a pair of pants."

Don gives her a look and she grins back, knowing that he meant her other injuries but trying to make things lighter. He shakes his head and reaches into a nearby drawer, fishing out ointment, gauze, medical tape and scissors. Don squeezes the ointment onto the tips of his fingers and slathers it onto the wound to ensure that it will heal well. He then cuts a length of gauze and places it over the cut, patting it down lightly. He asks Rachel to hold it in place and when she has her hand firmly on the square of gauze, he peels a strip of tape from the roll, snipping it to the right length. He smoothes the tape along one edge of the gauze and does the same to the other three sides, finally saying, "You're all done. Get some painkillers from Leo, and you'll be fine."

"Thank you, Don," Rachel acknowledges gratefully, giving him a quick hug. She releases him and slides off the table, limping over to Leo who gives her a glass of water and a tablet, followed by a kiss on the forehead. Don scans the room and sees that only one person in need of medical attention remains. He gestures to the table and Lily walks to it, turning and jumping up onto it. Don examines the cut on her lip, not deeming it severe enough for stitches, then puts his fingers under her chin, tilting it up it get a better look at her nose. "It's not broken," he confirms, releasing her and asking Vanessa to run for a wet facecloth. Vanessa returns in a few seconds and he takes it from her, dabbing at the blood still fresh on Lily's lip and wiping away the dry blood beneath her nose.

When Lily's face is cleaned up, Don moves onto her sore arm. He presses the flesh of her shoulder lightly in a few places and sighs, muttering, "Just as I thought. It's dislocated."

He turns to the room and asks, "Can someone come over here and hold her hand for a minute? I need to pop her shoulder back into place."

Rachel limps forward and takes Lily's hand, squeezing it encouragingly. Mikey smiles at Lily and tells her conversationally, "I dislocated my shoulder once, and I'm not gonna lie, it hurts like shell for a bit. Don't worry; after some painkillers, you'll feel better in a day, I promise."

Lily gives him a smile, appreciating his attempt to make her feel better, but feeling a bit worse than she did before he said that. She turns away from Don and closes her eyes, pressing her lips firmly together. Taking this as his cue, Don closes one hand around her bicep, the other falling on her shoulder. Concentrating on her arm, he says in a voice that sounds more confident than he feels, "On the count of three. One…two…three."

He shoves her arm sharply upward, her shoulder clicking back into place. It feels like an explosion in her tissue and she exhales sharply, clenching her eyes shut and squeezing Rachel's hand tightly like a vice. Voice a little strained, Rachel jokes, "You have a pretty strong grip, Lily," wincing slightly. Lily opens her eyes and releases Rachel's hand, gasping, "Oh, I'm so sorry! Are you alright?"

Rachel gives her a strange look for a second, then asks, "You have just had your shoulder shoved back into its socket, and you're asking me if _I'm_ alright? Unbelievable! You should be crying right now, I know I would be if I were you."

"I'm fine," Lily replies, slipping off the table and going over to where the water jug, cups and painkillers sit. She pops one into her mouth and takes a gulp of water, placing the cup on the shelf beside her. Splinter stands from the chair in which he was sitting, leaning on his cane as he shuffles to the door. He turns at the entrance and says, "I believe that a quick cup of tea would do us all some good before bed. Come, children."

Leo smiles fondly, finding it ridiculous and funny that his father still insists on calling not only he and his brothers, but also their girlfriends children. He takes Rachel's hand and leads her toward the door, following Lily and preceding Don. Vanessa makes a step to the doorway, but Raph stops her with an arm stretched out in front of the door, saying, "Hold on just a sec. Sam an' I have somethin' that we need ta tell ya."

Sam feels a lump form in her throat but takes a deep breath, leaning a hand on the wall to help her stand up. Mikey looks at Raph for a moment and then turns his gaze quizzically to Sam, hoping for an explanation. She looks at him apologetically and whispers, "I'm sorry."

"Why?" Vanessa and Mikey demand in unison, both confused by Sam and Raph's behaviour. Raph grabs at the back of his neck nervously and begins, "When Sam an' me were disguised as Foot ninja and we suddenly dropped out of contact, it was because the real ninja heard the explosion we made in the weapons room and came up ta investigate. There was nowhere fer us ta run, so we hid in the closet. They were comin' an' we needed a way out, so we…I mean Sam an' I-"

"I kissed Raph," she blurts, seeing the surprise registering on the two faces she has been trying desperately to avoid all night. Voice rising, she begins to ramble, "It wasn't Raph's fault at all; it was mine. We were in the closet and they were coming closer, so I had to think of a good reason for two Foot ninja to be in a closet when they should have been at their post, and I panicked. At the time, it seemed like the best idea, and I just kind of leaned over and kissed him one second before they opened the closet. I didn't mean to make this huge mess; I was just trying to find a way to keep us from looking suspicious."

Vanessa glances back and forth between Raph and Sam, her expression unreadable. Mikey stares at Sam with his mouth agape for a few long seconds, then shuts it, narrowing his eyes on his brother and taking a large stride toward him. Sam pushes herself off the wall and grabs his arm, insisting, "It was all my fault and I'm so sorry, Mikey, it didn't mean anything. You know that I love you, right?"

Mikey looks at her earnest face for an endless moment and finally releases the tension from his muscles, replying, "Yeah, I know. I love you too. It's way too hard to stay mad at you."

"I know what you mean," Vanessa concurs, crossing her arms and looking at Raph pointedly. He smiles at her crookedly and she practically melts inside, hiding her blush from him by turning to Sam and saying, "I'm glad you guys at told us. Thanks for being honest."

Sam smiles in relief and releases Mikey's arm, hopping to the door. She grabs onto the doorframe for a second to regain her balance and suggests, "We should probably go to the kitchen, the others will start to wonder where we are-"

She squeals as Mikey sweeps her off her feet and bounds down the stairs with her in his arms, showing no sign of exertion. Giving him a mock glare, Sam grumbles, "Why do you have to be such a show off?"

"If you've got it, flaunt it, babe," he answers cheekily, earning himself a playful smack on the plastron. The right side of Raph's mouth tilts up in a smile at his brother's cockiness, and he is about to exit the lab when a pair of arms winds their way around him from behind. Vanessa chuckles and asks in a low, daring voice, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Ta the kitchen," Raph replies, suddenly hoisting her onto his shell by the backs of her thighs. "An' yer comin' with me."

He leaves the lab and heads down the stairs, only replacing Vanessa on the ground when he reaches the refrigerator. She shoves him gently for the surprise but has an excited flush to her face and a spike of adrenaline in her system, vowing to get him alone very soon. Pushing that thought from her mind for the moment, she leans on the table and holds out a hand for the tea Leo offers her. She takes a long sip and the warmth fills her, spreading from her chest outward until she is enveloped in the light aroma and heat of the drink. Raph takes a drink of his tea and sighs, closing his eyes peacefully. Everyone sits in silence at the table for a minute until Splinter sets down his cup, hinting, "Now would be a good time to tell me of what happened at the Foot headquarters."

Leo begins to tell his Master all that happened, the words flowing out of his mouth smoothly. He has no shortage of words until he reaches the point of the story in which Lily and the Shredder faced off, trailing off lamely, "…when Lily asked for answers about why there was a file about her parents, he told her that he…he…"

"He said that he killed my parents," Lily fills in bluntly, startling the group at the round table. She keeps her eyes on her tea cup, expression emotionless except for small frown lines between her eyebrows. Master Splinter's face softens sympathetically and he reaches across the table for Lily's hand, squeezing it in his paw. He says sagely in a gentle voice, "Loss is not easy, I understand Lily. I have also had someone very special taken away from me by the Shredder. However, you can always come to myself, one of my sons, and any of these other three young women if you are in need support. I assure you, you do not need to be alone."

Lily looks up at him and gives him a tiny unconvincing smile, looking back down at her teacup and swirling the lukewarm contents around in it. Leo sees that Lily doesn't plan on adding anything else to the conversation and finishes the recap of their mission, the only reactions throughout a few affirmative nods from Splinter and sound effects from Mikey. After Leo has told all there is to tell, Master Splinter is quiet, sipping contemplatively from his tea cup. His tail flicks once or twice as he ponders the night's events, and he finally says, "Based on what you have told me, Leonardo, it would be most prudent if we kept the ladies here for another five days, just to assure they will be safe."

Vanessa straightens and looks about to argue, but Splinter holds up a paw to subdue her, concluding, "Now, the best thing for all of us would be to get a good night sleep. Consider morning practice cancelled."

Everyone begins to stir, standing and stretching after a long time in the same positions. Lily yawns and rubs tiredly at her right eye, her hand coming away covered in dark eyeliner. She groans, knowing she must look like a raccoon right now and stands, taking her tea cup to the sink and placing it in the metal basin. She turns and says, "I'm going to go wash this stuff off my face. See you all in the morning."

A chorus of goodnights follow her out of the kitchen and she makes her way to the washroom guided by the glow that reaches the bathroom from the kitchen. She slips in the room and flicks on the light, shutting the door firmly behind her. The others place their dirty cups in the sink and wander off their separate ways to sleep.

Master Splinter closes his bedroom door and releases a gush of air, rubbing his temple. Remembering the things he heard last night from his sons' rooms when he went to check on them, he murmurs to himself, "I don't doubt that they will be as restless as last evening." The old rat shakes his head, soothing himself by reminding himself that at this rate, he will have his grandchildren soon.

_Oh, Splinter. You and your need for grandchildren…_

_Anyway, Raph and Sam came clean, and there was no physical harm done to either. Hooray! I wonder, will Lily and Don make up? I guess we'll have to see next chapter *evil grin*_

_Thank you very much for reading, and PLEASE review! _:D

_The Light of Reason_


	12. Peace At Last

_Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT. They belong to Mirage Studios. I own only Rachel, Sam, Vanessa, Lily and Grace. This is a chapter that just ties up a few of the loose ends. It's not eventful, but I think it's pretty cute. I'm such a romantic. _:D

_I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please Review! _

When Mikey reaches his bedroom, he encounters a problem. With Sam cradled in his arms, it's impossible to open the door. Mikey struggles to open it using one hand, trying not to drop Sam. Sam has mercy on him and turns the knob easily, the door swinging open slightly. He says, "Thanks, Sam," pushing the door fully open with his knee. Sam wriggles in his hold as he closes the door with his foot and grumbles, "You know I can move on my own, Mikey."

"But I like holding you," he replies flirtatiously, grinning at her blush. He lets her down when she playfully elbows him in the chin, chuckling as she tries to steady herself. Victorious, Sam hops to the bed on one foot unaided. She does a half turn on her uninjured foot and flops down on her rear atop the bed facing Mikey, looking serious. Sensing her tension, Mikey steps toward Sam and asks, "What's wrong, Sam?"

"Are you really alright about what happened?" She pries, clasping her hands nervously in her lap. His shoulders fall and he sighs, holding all his words at bay. Face sincere, she continues, "I really feel bad about what I did to you, Raph and Vanessa, and you seemed really upset. I was worried about you. You shouldn't pretend you're not mad at me because you don't want to hurt my feelings." Mikey doesn't show a sign that he registered what she said and in exasperation Sam wonders, "Aren't you angry…annoyed, even?"

"Actually, I am annoyed," Mikey admits, walking to her. He crouches down in front of Sam, placing his palms on the comforter on either side of her. Lowering his voice, he says, "I'm annoyed that you won't let it go. Yeah, I wasn't too happy that my brother and my girlfriend kissed—not many guys would be—but I know that it was a weird situation. I can forgive you for that, right?"

"I guess," she mumbles, avoiding his gaze. He lifts her chin with his fingers to look into her eyes, asking, "Then can't you forgive yourself?"

She looks at him for a long moment, grudgingly answering, "Yes."

"Good," he says, smiling at her. He then puts one arm under her legs, the other arm supporting her back as he lifts her and walks to the head of the bed. Mikey balances himself on one leg and clamps his toes on the top of his comforter, pulling it down in a smooth motion. He then lays Sam down on the mattress, stretching out beside her and tugging the covers over them. She smiles up at him and he grins back, planting a soft kiss on her lips. Sam looks at him a bit strangely, and Mikey asks her, "What?"

"You can do better than that, can't you, Michelangelo?" She teases, tilting her face upward enticingly. He catches her connotation and smiles at her mischievously. Bracing one arm on the far side of the bed he shifts his weight and hovers over her for a second before closing the gap between them. Mikey pushes his lips to hers, moving them slowly as she slides her hands up his plastron and around the back of his neck, pulling him closer. He kisses her a moment longer and dips his head to press his lips to the soft flesh of her neck. His kisses are drawn out, and when he bites her neck lightly she lets out a sharp breath. He kisses her neck where he nipped her and his words are muffled into her skin as he jokes, "How does that compare to Raph?"

"There's no competition," she replies breathlessly. Mikey grins to himself and gives her one last kiss on the jaw before rolling back onto his side, watching her chest rise and fall noticeably under the covers with satisfaction. His arms tighten around her and she nestles her head between his chin and shoulder, closing her eyes. He smiles at Sam and yawns, relaxing and allowing sleep to wash over him like a blue wave, swaddling them in a blanket of security.

The moment Vanessa hears Raph shut the door behind him, she pulls him to her and kisses him fervently. She sighs happily, clenching her eyes and allowing all of him to surround her. Finally, they're alone. Raph cups the back of her head and presses his lips harder against hers, glad to focus on something other than the pain of his shell for a few moments. Vanessa's hand finds the dent in his shell and she lets go of his lips, asking concernedly, "Does your shell hurt, Raph?"

"Nah, babe, I'm alright," he replies, kissing her lightly. Vanessa pulls away after a few seconds and walks to the other side of the room, searching for a small bag of clothes left behind by April. She opens it and finds nothing to sleep in, sighing and running a hand over her eyes tiredly. Out of luck, she asks over her shoulder, "Do you have a T-shirt I could borrow, Raph?"

"Sure," he replies, fishing a large grey shirt from a pile of clothes on the floor and tossing it to her. It lands on the floor next to her and Vanessa says, "Thanks," pulling off her tight black T-shirt with her back to him. She then hooks her thumbs in the waistband of her matching pants and gives a sharp tug, letting them fall to the floor. She picks up the oversized T-shirt and pulls it over her head. The shirt reminds her of the tug of war they had on the camping trip last fall and she smiles. The boys won the game, but the girls had a private victory, covering the winners in a thick layer of mud. Back then, the thought of breaking into a building and fighting her parents' worst enemy didn't even cross her mind. Now, she knows that this is only the beginning.

Sighing, Vanessa reaches under the billowy fabric, unhooking her bra and slipping it off. She turns around as she pulls the elastic out of her hair, allowing her ebony hair to fall to her mid-back. Vanessa looks at Raph for a moment and thinks back to the spring before. She was fairly shy and reserved, not daring to step out of her comfort zone. Now, she's outspoken and energetic, and knows it's because she met Raph. She would have never imagined that she would be here right now. It's strange, how life can change so quickly.

Raph smiles, admiring her form basked in the dim light from the lamp on his bedside table. His expression sends a wave of pleasure through her body, and Vanessa barely contains a simper as Raph stands. He strides over to her and slides his arms around her waist, murmuring, "Yer gorgeous," before kissing her. She grips the muscles of his arms and tilts her head, receiving his kiss from a different angle as his hands move up her back. Her hands glide to his chest and she pushes him back, giggling when he tugs her down onto the bed with him. She kisses him again, releasing him after a minute and looking at him inquiringly. He asks her bemusedly, "What?"

"You're being cautious. I won't break, you know," she answers him, trying to discern what he's thinking. Raph chuckles dryly, saying, "I know that. I watched you kick the asses of about forty Foot ninja, remember?"

She laughs, her eyes lighting up. Raph's face is anxious and Vanessa looks down at his chest, tracing the scars on his shell with her fingers. As her finger moves along a fairly deep line, Vanessa asks casually, "Then why do you seem so worried? You've hardly talked since we got back."

Raph's jaw tightens and he mutters, "I was scared that I'd lose ya tonight."

Concern etches Vanessa's face and she heaves a sigh, sitting up. She gives Raph's arm a little tug and he straightens up, listening to her intently as she replies, "Raph, you and I both know that what we've gotten into is very dangerous. There _is_ a good chance that one of us could be hurt or…killed," she lets out the word through a contracted windpipe. After a breath, she continues, "But we can't let it take over the rest of our lives. I can take care of myself, Raph. Besides, we're safe now, and I want to be with you for a while without thinking about that."

Raph studies the pattern of the rings on the bottom of her big toe for a few seconds before he looks up at her. She smiles and teases, "I think you've gone soft, Hamato Raphael."

He growls in his throat and seizes her by the backs of her thighs, whispering fiercely into her ear, "I ain't gone soft. An' I'd be worried if I was you."

"You don't scare me," Vanessa replies defiantly, smirking. He lifts her just enough to twist around and lay her on the bed, his powerful body holding her down. She feels her heart drum faster as he closes his lips around hers, sliding his hand up her shirt. Goosebumps rise on her skin and she moans, arching her back as his fingers travel up her spine. He smiles, relishing the feeling of her skin under his and deciding the night wasn't so bad after all.

Leo opens the door to his room and sees a single candle glowing on the low table by his meditation mat. He furrows his brow, knowing he didn't leave it on and concludes that Master Splinter must have lit it. He steps into the room and allows Rachel to pass him, closing the door softly behind him.

Rachel is awed into silence by the bedroom's subtle beauty, amazed by the _sumi-e _paintings on the walls. The room is decorated in calming neutral colors and soothing blues, the tiny brick room a hidden sanctuary. Candlelight glints off a long sliver sword that hangs from the wall and bathes the room in a golden glow. The first time Rachel was in here, she and Leo had been too busy for her to notice the room's charm. The night before, the room was totally black, and she wouldn't have been able to enjoy it either as her leg was sore. Now, she can admire Leo's room, the old harmonizing with the modern and the natural blending with the artificial.

Leo watches her observe the room and wonders what is going through her mind. It's difficult for Leo to determine what Rachel's thinking, although she seems to have the power to read his mind. He comes up behind her and places his hands on her shoulders, asking quietly, "What are you thinking about?"

When his cool breath touches her ear, Rachel's skin tingles and the serene elegance of Leo's bedroom is forgotten. Yes, a Leo oriented distraction sounds nice. Rachel hides a smile and purses her lips, pretending to consider divulging her thoughts. She turns to Leo and lays her hands on his chest, spreading her fingers thoughtfully. She looks up at him and replies, "I was just thinking about how nice your room is."

She smiles sweetly and he feels her hands travel down his chest, his abdomen, his hips. "I doubt that," he says, feeling her fingers on the tops of his thighs. Rachel cocks her head to the side innocently and quips, "Your turn. What are you thinking?"

Leo's hands close around hers and he uses them to pull her closer. His lips brush Rachel's and he answers, "I'm thinking about taking you to bed."

"Oh, really?" she murmurs, smiling as his arms wrap around her. He kisses her and a light fluttering of butterflies' wings starts in Rachel's stomach. She rocks forward to push her lips harder against his and feels Leo's arms retract, his hands moving up the front of her shirt. A shiver passes through her and she stretches her arms above her head as he pulls her shirt off. Leo's hands land on either side of her ribcage and he steers her to the bed. Using his strong hands he forces her into a sitting position on the bed and pushes her onto her back, climbing on top of her.

She sinks into the mattress with his weight pressing down on her, her hand clutching the nape of his neck. Leo slides his hands down her torso and pushes her pants off her body, letting them fall on the floor. His palm lands on her bandage and the same feeling of guilt fills him. '_It's __**my**__ fault she's like this,'_ he says to himself, wondering if he's hurting her.

"Does your leg hurt, love?" Leo asks softly, his hand rubbing circles into her thigh. Disappointed that he pulled away, Rachel lies, "Not really," although it still aches. Leo is skeptical but doesn't push her, moving onto something else that has been on his mind. Playing with the fingers of Rachel's right hand, Leo asks, "How did you feel about our mission?"

She ponders this for a moment and replies, "I have to admit that as exciting as it was, it was also kind of scary. I was so worried about you and your brothers and the girls, it was a bit hard to concentrate. Plus, my leg was killing me after a while. Don't worry, next time I'll-"

"Next time?" he demands sharply, his eyes boring into hers. Taken aback by his sudden outburst, Rachel confirms, "Yeah, next time I want to be more prepared. We might have to increase my training."

"There won't _be_ a next time, Rachel. I can't put you in that situation again," Leo says resolutely. Rachel frowns and pushes herself up onto her elbows, protesting, "But I'm getting better! Didn't you see me tonight, Leo? I can help. I _want_ to help."

Leo sighs and replies, "I can't risk your life again. It's best if you don't come. It's the only way to keep you safe."

"Not this again," Rachel groans under her breath. She looks directly at him and says, "Leo, we've been through this before. I can look after myself; you don't need to protect me all the time. I appreciate it and it's really sweet, but it's too much sometimes."

Voice heated, Leo asks, "You say you can take care of yourself. Do you mean like tonight and the night before?"

Rachel is uncharacteristically quiet, and Leo continues, "This threat is our problem, not yours. I don't want you to get hurt again."

"I know, Leo," she replies quietly, cupping his cheek. After a moment, Rachel smiles like a conspirator and suggests, "I'll compromise. I get an extra practice and get to join you on two patrols each week. When the time comes, you can say if I get to go or not."

Leo raises his eyebrow, doubting that she'll really allow him to choose whether she gets to go on another mission. Convinced she's on to something, she adds spiritedly, "During those three sessions, my attention is undividedly yours."

"Counter offer," he answers, lifting her slightly and moving her further up the bed. He straddles her body and continues, "You have _two _extra practices a week, participate in _one _patrol a week, and your attention is undividedly mine right now."

She is about to object when his lips stop her protestation mid-breath. Discussion postponed, she relaxes into the kiss, enjoying the feel of his warm hands on her stomach. The debate is far from over and Rachel plans to renegotiate under better circumstances. For tonight, she plans to spend some quality time with her favorite, evasive ninja.

Lily pats her face dry with a fluffy blue towel and looks up at her reflection in the mirror, glad that the dark eye make up has finally come off. Her eyes are a bit red from scrubbing, but other than she looks like herself again. She brushes her hair from her face, looking into her green eyes and seeing an odd coldness. She wonders if she's looked like this since she found out about her parents' death. Lily tenses when she thinks of the murderer and sees her reflection's jaw clench. This time unable to hold in her emotion, Lily closes her fist and half-heartedly punches the wall beside the mirror, making the glass shiver for a second before it returns to its solid indifference.

She hisses in pain and retracts her fist, examining it. The skin of her knuckles is grazed, but it only stings slightly. The tension smoothes from her face and glancing up at her reflection again, Lily sees that she now looks gentler and more like herself. Whether the change is from calm or fatigue, she's not sure. Sighing, she collects her towel and facecloth, opening the door of the bathroom and flicking the light off.

The lair is dark and she can hear the soft whirring of the heater in the living room, the thought of sleeping on the couch in the warmth soothing. She drops her dirty laundry on the floor by the bathroom door and goes over to the couch, draping a blanket over herself as she lies down. The blue upholstery is soft and worn, its scent of warm dough, rich coffee and incense comforting. She snuggles into the fabric and closes her eyes, breathing in deeply through her nose.

She lays in the lonely quiet for a good thirty minutes trying to fall asleep, but thoughts of her parents, Oroku Saki and Don rattle her brain, making sleep impossible. When she manages to drift off, her sleep is fitful.

She is in a large white room. There two mahogany desks topped by high tech computers in front of her, each sporting a name plate. She knows this place well. She walks toward the desk closest to her and brushes her fingers over the pens, papers and measuring tools strewn across the desk top. A green mug reading '#1 Dad' is half full of lukewarm coffee, and it's obvious it has splattered a rough scatter plot. There's a photo of two smiling blonde teens and a beautiful blonde woman on the desk, and another picture of the same woman in a wedding dress, clasping hands with a dark haired man. A lump forms in Lily's throat, and she swallows it down with difficulty.

She moves over to the other desk and glances briefly at the files on the desk top, her attention caught by a drawing. There are three stick like figures and a tiny blob, each with an inscription. The tallest person has dark hair and glasses, the word 'Dad' in blue crayon beneath it. The next is a blond woman holding a bean shape, and 'Mom' is written under. An arrow points to the lump and reads 'Grace'. The blond figure on the end is entitled 'Lily'. Lily smiles to herself, remembering that she drew this when she was eight. Moving on, she inspects the rest of the things atop the desk.

She is about to open the drawer of the desk when she hears a cry for help. Startled, she whirls around and sees her mother on the floor, hugging her torso with tiny tears in the corners of her eyes and her father, lying on his back and groaning in pain. She also sees Don on his front, unconscious and far from his bo staff. "Mom! Dad! Don!" She yells, taking a step forward. She freezes when she sees Oroku Saki appear from nowhere, his gauntlet gleaming in the bright light.

"Leave them alone," she snarls at him, clenching her fists. He smirks at her and asks, "Is that a request or an order, Miss Clements?"

"That's a threat," she replies, shifting her weight to the balls of her feet in preparation to attack. Saki's expression changes and he advises, "It is foolish to try and change the past. Your parents have died, and there is nothing you can do about it now. Why frustrate yourself by trying to bring them back? As for this freak of nature," he motions to Don, "He has had a death sentence on his head since he interfered with my plans long ago. You can't save them."

Face set in determination, she races forward as he raises his gauntlet, but she is not fast enough. There are three flashes of light, and blood pours onto the white floor. Lily falls to her knees, and three red rivers flow toward her.

Lily jerks awake into a sitting position, a coat of sweat covering her body and her heart pounding frantically in her chest. She tries to remind herself that it was all a dream as she breathes heavily, but the fear in her is real, and it takes her a good minute to compose herself. When she manages to calm down, she looks over at the digital clock and groans, seeing that it says 3:04am.

_'What now?'_ she wonders to herself, knowing that going back to sleep is not an option. The answer lurks near the back of her mind but it takes her a long time to finally acknowledge it. _'I need to talk to Don about this.'_

She slides off the couch and tiptoes to the outer ring of the lair, passing two doors before she reaches her destination. Hesitating, she taps lightly on the wood and half hopes he won't hear her. To both her relief and disappointment Don opens the door, scratching at the side of his leg absentmindedly. His face is unusually free of his mask and his eyes seem to shine intelligently even though it's dark and he's sleepy. He furrows his brow in confusion when he realizes that it's Lily at his door and asks, "What's wrong?"

Her desire to talk to Don about her parents is suddenly gone. Lily instead launches at him and her lips press against his, surprising him out of his grogginess. _'This wasn't the plan!'_ she chides herself, but now that she's kissing him, she can't seem to stop. Her arms wind tightly around his shoulders and she pulls him closer, opening her mouth against his and touching his tongue. Despite his initial bewilderment he responds to the new contact positively, pushing the door shut and separating them from the rest of the lair. He places his hands on the small of her back and kisses her more fully, pulling back a few seconds later to say, "I'm really sorry about the way I-"

He is interrupted when she brings his lips to hers again abruptly, but doesn't mind being cut off, returning the kiss just as strongly. Her hands glide down the curve of his round shell and back up, her fingers trailing across the back of his neck. He presses his lips more forcefully to hers, his hand closing on the fabric of her spandex suit. Don pulls away again and tries to apologize, saying, "I know the past two days have been rough, and I didn't mean to-"

"You know, it makes it more difficult to kiss you when you keep talking," Lily breaks in impatiently, placing her hands on her hips. He looks at her for a long moment in thought, and then asks her quietly, "Why are you here, Lily? Is something bothering you?"

"No, I just want to be with you," she answers, placing her hands on his hips and pulling him closer. After a moment's thought he tilts his face down to kiss her. She hugs his waist tightly and loses herself in their embrace, feeling his arms wrap around her. Lily pushes her lips harder against his, taking in a sharp breath though her nose to keep the kiss going.

After a few minutes, she feels a flame light in her stomach and begin to burn slowly, her desires growing as she reaches around the back of her neck and finds the zipper to her spandex suit. She pulls it down her back slowly, and then slides one arm out of its sleeve, followed by the other. Don feels his heart rate increase as he feels the fabric of her thin suit move out from under his hands, and fights back a moan when she rolls her hips to pull her suit over them. She lifts one foot and slides off the pant leg of her navy suit, then does the same to the other leg, dropping the garment to the floor.

Her body seems to radiate her intentions and although he knows what she's doing, Don doesn't stop her, sliding his hands over her skin. Don kisses her deeply, his fingers just brushing the back of her bra. Lily takes this as encouragement and takes his hands in hers, guiding them to the bra hook and using his fingers to try to unfasten it. He pulls back quickly, and snatches her hands, causing her to jump slightly in alarm.

"No, Lily, that's far enough," he says firmly, restraining her hands behind her. Lily's face becomes annoyed and she asks, "Why, Don?"

"Because you are very emotional right now, and I doubt you've slept at all. Now is not the time for this," he answers, his voice full of concern as well as authority. Lily glares at him for a second before her face crumples. Her eyes are desperate as she pleads, "Please Don, I need this right now, I just want to forget everything! Please help me forget, please!"

He sees the naked emotion in her big green eyes and feels a stab of empathy, putting his arms tightly around her and pulling her to his chest. She breathes in deeply, hugging him tightly; the fire in the pit of her stomach has burned out. He holds her for a long minute, pushing her back just enough for him to incline his head and peck her forehead. Her eyes are surprisingly tearless but her face looks weary. He brushes hair from her eyes and asks softly, "Where do you want to sleep?"

"In your bed. With you," she mumbles, feeling very tired. He leads her to the bed like a child and pulls back the covers, allowing her to lie down before he crawls in next to her. She stretches her arms above her head, touching the cool brick wall with her fingertips. Don lies on his side and faces her, tentatively draping an arm over her stomach. Lily stares at the ceiling quietly for a while in thought then turns onto her side, propping her head up in her hand and asking, "Why do you always push me away, Don? I thought you liked me."

It takes him a moment to form an answer, and he replies, "I do, but that doesn't mean I just want you for physical reasons. Tonight, you wanted to have sex for the wrong reason, and I didn't want you to get hurt later."

Lily ponders his reply, and then apologizes, "I'm sorry I threw myself at you, I just wasn't able to think straight. I hope I didn't scare you off."

Don smiles and shifts closer, assuring, "It will take more than that to make me stay away from you. I love you too much."

Lily is elated that he's finally said those three little words. She smiles and answers, "I love you, too. And don't worry; I'll wait a bit before I try to steal your virginity again."

He laughs once, heartily, and she grins, inching closer to him. She rests her head on his chest and closes her eyes, dropping off quickly. Don lets his lids fall and is overtaken by slumber, his mind finally at rest.

_YAY! Lily and Don are all happy again!!!! It's looking good for everyone, although I have a feeling that Leo and Rachel are going to have another 'creative discussion' very soon. The next few chapters will (hopefully) be more eventful. As for updates, I make no promises._

_Thanks again!_

_The Light of Reason_

_PS-Do you guys like this? I think it's cute _^.^


	13. The Morning After

_Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT, they belong to Mirage Studios. I do own Vanessa, Grace, Sam, Rachel and Lily. No touchy, they're MINE! *notices Raph holding Vanessa possessively around the waist* Sometimes, anyway…_

_I thought the last chapter was pretty cute/sexy, and I promise more cute/sexy! HOORAY! _:D

_Please enjoy, and don't forget to review!_

Morning sounds brush Lily's ears as she lies still with closed eyes. The warm bedclothes contrast with Don's cool skin against her side and she subconsciously snuggles further under the covers. She dangles between sleep and consciousness, not ready to face reality. Don inhales loudly and rolls over onto Lily's arm, his hands icy where they land on her bare skin. Lily opens her eyes with a start and poof! All hopes of sleep are gone. She sighs tiredly and sits up, brushing her hand over Don's brow. Leaving her hand on his forehead, Lily touches her lips gently to his and smiles when after a moment he pushes back. He releases her and smiles, asking, "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah," Lily replies, voice thick with fatigue. Don laughs and teases, "Feel like getting up, Lazarus?"

"I take offence to that," Lily jokes, sitting up and stretching her arms above her head. She kicks off the covers and steps over Don, snatching something off his bedside table in passing. Don reluctantly sits up and yawns, rubbing at his eyes. He turns on his rear and plants his feet on the floor, glancing at his digital clock. "7:17" the clock leers at him, reminding him of his few hours of sleep. Ugh. Coffee is a must. Don sluggishly puts on his elbow pads and his belt. He places his purple mask over his eyes and ties a smart knot at the back of his head. He slides on one kneepad and tightens it, looking for the other. _'That's funny. I __**know**__ I put it here last night.'_

Suddenly, a foot lands on his bedside table. His eyes bug out and move slowly up the bare leg the foot is attached to. His kneepad rests at the leg's mid-thigh like a garter and Don looks up at the leg's owner. Lily smiles down at him in a sea foam green scoop neck T-shirt and boy shorts, her raised eyebrow daring. Don glances from the kneepad to her face and back again, a dark shade of pink on his cheeks beneath his green pigment. He reaches out and places one hand under her thigh cautiously, the other hand closing on the kneepad and slowly pushing it down her leg. Once the brown fabric is around her ankle, Don lifts Lily's foot and slips his kneepad off of her leg.

Instead of putting on his kneepad, Don sets it on the unmade bed beside him and cups Lily's heel in his free hand. He looks up at her again and then leans forward, pressing his lips to the top of her ankle. His kisses move up her shin and past her knee while his left hand follows up the underside of Lily's leg, his right holding her still. He stands slightly, bent over her leg and kisses up her thigh, stopping a little over halfway when a hand blocks his path. Undaunted, Don firms his grip on the underside of Lily's thigh and takes her hand in the other, standing fully. Lily sways back on her foot but Don steadies her, holding her hand. He kisses the tips of her fingers individually and then the back of her hand. Lily smiles as Don's lips move up her arm and slow at her shoulder, coming to a stop at her neck. Don releases her hand and trails the backs of his knuckles over Lily's stomach, then lays his palm on the small of her back. Don kisses up her neck and pauses for a second longer on her jaw, raising gooseflesh on her skin. He lifts his chin and kisses her forehead, followed by each eyelid. Lily sighs as Don finally presses his lips to hers and turns slightly so her back is to the bed. She wraps her arms tightly around his neck and moans as Don's hand slides up her back. Suddenly, the bedroom door bangs open and Mikey announces in panic, "Don, Lily's _gone_!"

Don jumps away from Lily and she falls backward onto the bed, landing with her feet over her head. Lily pushes herself upright and hastily tugs the covers over her bottom half, giving Mikey a look mixed between annoyance and fondness. On the other hand, Don's expression is murderous. As Mikey glances from Don to Lily, he puts the pieces of the puzzle together and his mouth forms an 'O'. He smiles sheepishly and says, "I guess you found her, bro…Is that Leo calling? _Coming, Leo!"_

Like a flash, Mikey is out of the room, but Don's not finished with him. He snatches his kneepad from the bed and fastens it around his knee, then strides to the door. He swings the door shut behind him and Lily hops off the bed, intending to follow him. She goes as far as opening the door a crack before she shuts it again. Pants would be a good idea. She rifles through the small bag of clothes and finds a pair of jeans that are a bit too loose. Lily searches the room for a solution and sees one of Don's extra belts draped over the back of his computer chair. She grabs the belt and laces the fabric through the belt loops of her jeans, tying the belt at her hip. For the final touch, Lily pulls her hair back into a ponytail, brushing a few stragglers from her eyes as she leaves the room.

Out here, it is bright and lively. Lily has to squint against the light and shields her eyes with her hand as she walks carefully down the ramp that leads to the main area. She glances from the populated kitchen to the living room, where Don is speaking to Mikey in a low voice. She walks toward the pair and as she nears, she hears Don say, "Doors are usually closed for a _reason, _Mikey."

Mikey is about to defend himself when Lily comes up behind Don and teases, "Come on Don, let him go. He didn't know what he was walking into." Don looks a little hesitant as he sighs and apologizes, "Sorry, Mike. Just…knock next time, alright?"

"Sure thing, Donnie," Mikey agrees, grinning. He then turns to Lily and says gratefully, "Thank you for saving me, kind lady!" Mikey gives her a quick hug and races to the kitchen, cackling as he disappears behind the divider. They watch him leave and Lily says quietly after a beat, "Next time, his shell is mine."

Don laughs at her seemingly harmless comment, but wonders if she's kidding. This new revenge seeking Lily is a bit frightening. Don worries that she'll be taken over by this need for revenge and hatred for the Shredder. He understands her shock; anyone would be devastated if they met their parents' killer. However, he doesn't want this to send her into a downward spiral that will hurt her and the people around her. Somehow, Don plans to make it right. He smiles at Lily and ushers her into the kitchen, ready for a steaming mug of coffee. Upon entering, he sees Mikey with his feet up on the table, Sam half asleep in her chair, Raph leaning against the refrigerator tiredly, Vanessa sitting at the table with the heels of her palms pressed into her eyes, and Grace at the counter with spoon in hand. Grace brightens as Don and Lily enter and she greets them warmly, stirring something in a big red bowl. Lily smiles as she takes a seat and asks, "What are you doing, Grace?"

"I'm making pancakes," Grace replies, bursting with pride. Don pushes Mikey's feet off of the table and to the turtle's squawk says, "We have to eat off of that, you know." He then steps around the chef and fires up the coffee machine, spooning in enough ground coffee for five. He turns his head and asks over his shoulder, "How did everyone sleep?"

He is answered by a sloppy chorus of, "Good," and smiles as he turns back to the coffee machine. After she greases the pan, Grace lifts the bowl from the counter and walks to the stove, pouring a few lumps of batter into the frying pan. It sizzles and pops, creating an underlying rhythm for Grace's incessant chatter. She flips the pancakes energetically as the other kitchen dwellers slump in their seats, barely paying attention to what Grace is saying. By the end of it, Grace has three precariously balanced towers of pancakes, and almost drops the plates as she brings them to the table. She returns to the cupboards and pulls out a stack of plates, then fishes a fistful of forks from a drawer. Grace lays them all on the table just as Rachel and Leo enter the room. Leo is fresh and alert from his morning workout, whereas Rachel woke up not five minutes ago. She smiles sleepily and says, "Good morning." Rachel is answered by undistinguishable greetings as she sits on the edge of the counter. Leo smiles and comments, "It smells great in here. Who's the cook?"

"M-me," Grace stammers and looks at her feet as she blushes. Lily eyes Grace for a second and then glances at Leo, making a quiet hum under her breath. For an inexplicable reason, Grace now has very little to say, although moments before she was talking non-stop. She is quiet for a few minutes as the people around her converse in the claustrophobic kitchen. After she flutters around the kitchen to ensure everything's cleaned up, Grace blurts, "I'm gonna go have a shower."

"Don't you want any breakfast? You _made _it, after all," Rachel asks. Smiling a bit too brightly, Grace replies hastily, "No thanks I'm not very hungry. See you later." Grace retreats and practically runs to the bathroom, leaving no room for discussion. Lily smiles knowingly and waits until the bathroom door closes on Grace before she says, "Here we go."

Vanessa looks at Lily and asks, "What do you mean?" Lily laughs and accepts a hot mug of coffee from Don. Curious, Sam straightens up in her seat and demands, "What's so funny, Lily?"

Lily rips open a sugar packet and pours its contents into her mug, splashing a little milk into the coffee as she explains, "Grace seems to have a crush."

"On _who_?" Rachel asks with interest and pushes off the counter as she smiles mischievously. Lily takes sip of her coffee then puts the mug back onto the table, spearing a pancake with her fork and placing it on her plate. She picks up the syrup bottle, flicks the cap and then drizzles the thick maple syrup over her pancake. Lily caps the bottle and places it next to her, then cuts off a piece of pancake. Pausing before she pops the bite into her mouth, Lily replies lightly, "Leo."

Don almost spits his coffee back into his mug, Mikey snorts with laughter, and Raph and Leo say in unison, _"What?!"_ Sam claps her hands excitedly, Vanessa raises her eyebrows and Rachel doubles over in laughter. Unable to understand the young female mind, Raph wonders, "Why the _hell_ would that kid have a thing fer Leo?"

Shrugging, Lily answers cryptically, "The heart wants what it wants," and has another drink of coffee. Rachel laughs loudly and jokes, "It looks like I have some competition."

Leo is confused by how unconcerned Rachel seems about the revelation, but supposes that Grace imposes no threat to her. Leo would find it funny too, if it weren't for the fact that Grace will most likely be spending the better part of the next week with them in the enclosed lair. He doesn't want to hurt Grace's feelings, and quite frankly, he's extremely embarrassed. This gives Mikey and Raph a totally new angle in the ongoing 'Who can bother Leo the most?' competition. Winner gets to super glue Leo to his meditation mat. Hooray. Leo sighs and runs a hand over his face, knowing that he'll never hear the end of this.

Rachel looks at Leo and smiles empathetically, moving close to him. She wraps her arms around him from the side and says, "Don't worry, it'll blow over. Crushes don't last very long."

"Let's hope not," Leo mutters and gives Rachel a swift peck on the temple. He allows the girls and his brothers to eat their breakfast in relative peace, although Mikey's disregard for manners and the hearing of others makes the meal less enjoyable. Once they're full of warm pancakes and sweet syrup, Leo deems it's the right time to get back to business. He walks to the head of the kitchen table and places both hands on the table top, his authority commanding silence from the group of adults. After assuring that everyone is at attention, Leo begins, "Our mission last night was fairly successful, but we aren't out of the woods yet. We have no idea how many of the Foot got away, and there's a good chance that they're searching for us." He looks meaningfully at the four girls and emphasizes, "_All_ of us. Due to this, I've decided that it would be best if Vanessa, Sam, Grace, Lily and Rachel stayed here for the next five or six days until all this blows over. We'll send April and Casey to get any supplies we need, and—"

"Wait a minute," Lily interrupts and holds up a hand as she stands. Her face and tone of voice adamant, she insists, "I can't stay here for the next 120 hours. Grace has school and I have work. If I miss time at work, I won't get paid, and if that happens, I can't pay my rent."

"I understand," Leo replies calmly, "but for your safety—"

"I forgot about _my_ safety three years ago," Lily breaks in, a fire entering her eyes. "If I lose my job or my apartment, I lose Grace. I can't let that happen. I _won't_." Lily is steadfast, her face set in determination with only an inkling of worry in the small lines between her eyes. Don looks at Lily for a long moment and for the first time he realizes the cause of Lily's constant fatigue. He's surprised that someone so young would take on the job of raising a pre-teen by herself, but Lily has not only taken on the job of a mother; she's taken on the _life_ of a single mom. Don now sees a strong resemblance to his older brother Leo in Lily's personality and this is news to him. What happened to the calm and quiet Lily he knew? The Lily who smiled more than she frowned? The Lily who was never fazed? Don has a feeling that she's gone for a while, and judging by the expression on the unfamiliar Lily's face, the new Lily is going to be just as stubborn about the situation they're in as Leo. Considering she's just pulled out the big guns, Lily's not going to go down without a fight.

Leo collects his thoughts for a moment and ponders the possibilities of getting Lily to work and Grace to school. As far as he can tell, it's practically a suicide mission. There's no knowing where the Foot are, or how long they will wait before another attack. Although it's hard for him to say it, Leo knows that the risk is too high, and he says, "Lily, I'm sorry, but it's not safe."

Lily looks ready to argue, but Raph cuts in, "Can't ya call in sick? I bet ya have tons of vacation."

She sighs and shakes her head, replying, "I don't have any paid vacation. I either go to work and get paid, or I call in sick and the money goes to whoever takes my shift." It's hopeless; the battle is lost. Running a hand over her face, Lily looks down and says quietly in defeat, "I'll go call in sick." Lily leaves the kitchen quickly and finds the land line of the house. She lifts the receiver and dials the phone number for work, guilt expanding in her chest when Dianne answers. Dianne sounds perky even at 8:30 in the morning, and Lily clears her throat before she says in a gravelly voice, "Hi, Dianne."

"Goodness, what happened to you?" Dianne asks, and Lily can just picture the motherly look on Dianne's face. Dianne is a short but mighty middle-aged black woman who treats everyone like her children. She can command a room merely by entering, but Dianne is as gentle as a lamb with a voice like molasses and a mouth that never stops flapping. Dianne has a heart of gold and a keen nose for lies. Lily closes her eyes as she croaks, "I'm sick, and so is Grace. The doctor says it's highly contagious, and he wants us to stay away from other people for about five days, so I was wondering—"

"Say no more, child; you have the rest of the week off," Dianne cuts in, and then advises, "Now you get better, hon. Don't work yourself so hard, take it easy."

Lily sounds concerned as she asks, "What about Marty?" Marty is Lily's boss and Dianne's husband, but his true love is hard work. Lily fears for her job, yet Dianne laughs and assures, "He'll agree with me dear, and if he doesn't, let's just say that my husband is gonna be sleeping on the porch tonight." This makes Lily laugh and she thanks Dianne for her help and understanding. Dianne waves it away and replies, "No problem, baby, you've been workin' your fingers to the bone. You deserve this. See you next Sunday."

The phone on the other end clicks and Lily puts the receiver down. Lily is relieved, yet feels bad that she lied to not just one of her coworkers, but her friend to get the time off. _'I guess it wouldn't be the first time I lied to a friend,'_ Lily says to herself bitterly as she makes her way back to the kitchen. As she renters, the seven standing and sitting in the kitchen halt their conversation and look at Lily expectantly. She folds her arms over her chest and leans on the counter, answering their silent questions. "I called in sick for the week. They don't need me until Sunday."

"Alright," Leo says softly to himself, then addresses his brothers and friends, "Is there anyone else with a problem?"

Vanessa and Rachel shake their heads, but Sam puts up her hand hesitantly. Leo gives her a strange look but calls on her. Looking flustered, Sam asks, "What am I going to tell my parents? If I don't go home, they'll call the police in two seconds flat! I called them yesterday morning and told them I was staying at Rachel's for the weekend, but I can't keep my mom at bay for long. You know how she gets." Sam grimaces and remembers the earful she got the last time she lied to her mom, and that was just about a broken plate! Rachel ponders Sam's problem, searching for a good alibi. _'What responsibilities do recently graduated high school students have? _ After a moment Rachel's eyes spark and she suggests, "You could tell them that you got a sudden invitation to tour a University. What's the furthest place you applied to?"

"The American Musical and Dramatic Academy of Los Angeles, California," Sam replies quickly, weighing the possibility of success with this excuse. She _is_ on the waiting list there, and as nice as New York is, she wants to get the full university experience. Unfortunately, that would involve leaving Mikey, and Sam's doesn't want to. She's dreamed about becoming a performer for a long time, but Mikey has filled a hole in her life that she didn't know was there. '_Maybe I did know,'_ Sam muses to herself, tracing a faint pair of white scars on her wrist.

When Sam had gone into her depression, she had been confused, lost and sad, yet she wasn't sure why. The day her parents found her at the kitchen sink with a knife in hand and a bleeding wrist, they had immediately pushed her into therapy and programs. After about a year, Sam felt better, but there was something missing she couldn't quite put her finger on. She thought she found what was missing when she got her fake ID and started club hopping, partying and, on occasion, drinking. It had been a nonstop whirl of activity and she felt a constant buzz even without alcohol. Sam had been surrounded by happy, excited people, and the vibe had brushed off on her, making her bold. That's the only reason she had the courage to flirt with Mikey the night they met, and she's glad that she did. Not long after she and Mikey started seeing each other, she began avoiding most parties, drank less and stopped thinking about all the horrible things she felt. Now, she has ray of sunshine that brightens her day and makes her think positively.

_'Thank God for Mikey,'_ Sam thinks and smiles absently at Mikey. Someone pinches her arm and she jolts out of her thoughts, asking, "What?"

"We kind of lost you," Vanessa says, looking at her strangely. Sam blushes a bit and wonders how long she was out, but continues, "I think Rachel has a great idea. I'll call mom and dad."

Mikey tosses her his shell cell and she flips it open, punching in her home phone number. Sam's mother picks up after two rings and greets, "Hello, Charlene Connahan speaking."

"Hey mom," Sam replies meekly, and flinches when her mother sets off on the usual questioning period. Sam provides rehearsed lines and allows her mother to talk herself into a stupor before she drops the bomb: "The AMDA of Los Angeles wants me to go to their campus for a tour, to see what it's all about."

"Oh, that's great, sweetie!" her mother enthuses. "When do they want us to fly you out?"

_'Crap.'_ "Um…"Sam stalls as she tries to think of a response, and claps a hand over the receiver. "Help! Why can't they drive me to the airport?" Thinking on her toes, Rachel stage whispers, "Tell her it's all paid for and taken care of."

"You don't have to do anything, mom, because they're paying for it and I have a drive to the airport. The plane leaves in a few hours," Sam lies, mouthing, 'Thank you' to Rachel. Her mother probes around for anything suspicious but Sam remains normal under pressure. At least, she tries to. Eventually, she convinces her mother that she doesn't need a ride to the airport and promises that someone will pick up her things in half an hour. "Okay mom, thanks…Yeah, I'll miss you too…_No!_ I don't want you to pack my blankie!…I love you. Bye!" Sam releases a puff of air as she hangs up and groans, "If she finds out I'm lying, I'm dead."

"No," Mikey contradicts as he stands, "you're dead if you go topside, which is why you're staying here." He kisses her cheek and Sam smiles, teasing, "Will you protect me?"

"Of course, gorgeous," Mikey murmurs into her ear, nuzzling the side of her face. Don pointedly looks away and Rachel coughs loudly to disrupt the moment, reminding Sam and Mikey that they aren't alone in the kitchen. Sam has the decency to look apologetic but Mikey grins and winks at his brothers as if saying, 'I'm a ladies man'. Raph pushes himself off of the fridge and asks, "Alright, now what're we gonna do?"

"We're going to wait," Leo replies seriously, giving Raph a look. His face tightening, Raph demands, "Ya mean that's it? We hide out an' hope that they don't find us? That's a load of bull, Leo." Leo is about to dig into Raph until Rachel places a hand on his shoulder and gives him a meaningful look. Leo falls back and crosses his arms over his chest.

"And what," Leo walks around the kitchen table to stand a foot away from Raph, "do you think we should do?" Leo expects Raph to give in and grumble; however, he is met with a surprise.

"_I_ think," Raph answers, imitating Leo's inflection, "that we should scope out the girls' houses while they stay here. Ta make sure their families are alright. Also, we can figure out if the Foot are after them anymore."

Raph relishes that look of pure shock on Leo's face and knows that Leo likes his idea. Raph also knows that this fact is practically killing Leo's pride. He grins as Leo quickly replaces his mask of calm and says, "I…agree, but we can't be seen, or it will compromise the plan. We'll each be stationed at one of the four homes, and we'll watch them at night between ten and two."

"Leo," Rachel speaks up. When he looks at her throat clamps tightly and she has to force out her request, "Could I…tag along? You said I could join in your patrols, and this is a good opportunity." Leo sighs and gives her a hard look for bringing this subject up again, replying flatly, "We'll see."

_'That means __**never**__,'_ Rachel says to herself, and her resolve to go on patrol becomes even stronger. She _will _go on a training run, no matter what it takes. Rachel is determined to earn the chance to try out her skills and help out Leo and his brothers. No means, not even seduction, are too low for her.

_Uh oh. Leo better watch out! He has Grace mooning after him and Rachel trying to persuade him. Poor guy _XD

_I hope that you enjoyed this 'filler' chapter, and I apologize for the late update. Please review!_

_The Light of Reason_

_PS-I think I love Don and Lily at the beginning of the chapter It's too bad that Mikey ruined their…'exchange'. _;) _Won't be long now…_

_BYE! _


	14. Broken Tension

_Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT; they are property of Mirage Studios or 4Kids or whoever they belong to now. I do own Sam, Vanessa, Grace, Lily, and Rachel. Mine since Xmas 2007! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!_

_Alright, enjoy!_

"Da da dun, dun, dun…da-dundundundunDUN!" Grace sings the bass line to "Another One Bites the Dust" as she exits the washroom, finally feeling comfortable on her fourth day in the lair. At least comfortable enough to sing out loud and suffer the torment she'll receive if anyone hears her. She passes the dojo on her way to the guestroom as she sings the chorus, very quietly so as not to disturb anyone, intent on curling up with her book for the rest of the evening before bed. She stops singing and comes to a halt when she hears the sound of someone groaning loudly in frustration, then turns around, walking back to the large doorway of the dojo. Rachel, with help from Leonardo and Vanessa, is learning how to execute a certain move, and based on her aggravated stance, she's not getting it. Grace doesn't mean to stop for long, but after a minute or two her fascination with the lesson leads her a few steps into the room, and eventually she takes seat to watch the intriguing action.

Rachel has now moved on to a new exercise, one that involves some swift arm movements followed by a hard punch outward. Grace isn't paying much attention to the kata as she's shifted her focus to Leonardo. As Rachel tries the movements again, Leo holds up a hand to stop her and tells Rachel something that Grace can't really hear, slowly demonstrating with sweeping motions of his arms. Rachel tries the punch again and Leo moves behind her, closing his hands on her arms and adjusting her starting position. He guides Rachel's arms through the exercise slowly once and then repeats it more quickly, murmuring instructions into her ear. As he moves Rachel's arm, Leo's biceps flex and Grace smiles, noting that none of the boys at her school are built like that. She leans back against the brick wall and wonders what that would feel like, sighing as she imagines the ripple of hard muscle under her palm…

"Grace?" Vanessa asks, regarding Grace strangely. Grace snaps to attention a moment later and blurts in a daze, "Yeah?"

Judging by Vanessa's expression and tone of voice, it's not the first time she's called Grace's name, and Grace tries her best to keep her eyes intently on Vanessa. Vanessa throws a glance over her shoulder to where Grace was gazing just a moment ago and sees Leo showing Rachel a kata, then turns back to Grace, asking, "Are you alright? You seem distracted."

Grace hastily stands up and brushes the dust off her backside, replying airily, "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I was just…thinking." Vanessa seems unconvinced so Grace flashes her pearly whites, hoping to draw attention away from her space out. _'The __**last**__ thing I want is people knowing what I was thinking about.' _Vanessa looks at Grace for a second before she bends over to snatch her towel off the floor, satisfied with Grace's excuse for the moment. She slings it over her shoulder, brushing the back of her hand over her sweaty forehead and sighs loudly.

"Well," she says casually as she strolls out of the dojo, "I'm going to get cleaned up before Rachel beats me to it. See you, Grace."

"Sure," Grace replies, watching Leo and Rachel performing the kata together. She sees that Rachel definitely has potential and strength, but there is not comparison between her and Leo. All of Leo's movements are fluid and graceful while accurate and controlled; Grace wonders how a body with so much power and muscle can execute something so precise. As she mulls over her thoughts, Leo and Rachel finish a short conversation and Leo calls it a day, the pair turning to the door to leave. They are surprised to see Grace standing there watching them, Leo's face showing confusion and Rachel's expression amused. Grace feels her face heat up and she smiles uncertainly, giving a little wave and saying to herself, _'This is awkward'_. Rachel looks at Leo and gives him a smirk, which he either doesn't notice or chooses not to acknowledge, and walks toward Grace, asking, "What do you think? Be brutal."

"You're great. I wish I could do that," Grace replies, playing with the zipper of her light blue hooded sweater. Rachel smiles at Grace and then Leo, teasing, "Maybe Leo will have to show you a few moves." If Leo didn't catch the hint in her comment, he surely notices the quick wink that Rachel gives him and tightens his jaw, unimpressed by her joke.

Grace shakes her head and replies, "No, I couldn't. I mean…I don't think that I'd be any good at it."

Rachel shrugs and says, "Suit yourself." She collects her water bottle and takes a step out the door of the dojo, then turns and asks, "Is Vanessa in the shower?"

"Yeah, she went in the bathroom about five minutes ago," Grace answers, glancing at Leo for a second before she decides it would be better to not be alone with him and quickly follows Rachel out the door. Rachel's strides are long and purposeful and Grace falls in step behind her on the stairs, leaving Leo to his own devices in the dojo. Rachel makes a beeline to the kitchen, her smile mischievous as Grace bemusedly follows, simply relieved to be away from Leo.

Donatello is at the counter with two mugs—one regular size, the other as large as a pint—while the coffee machine purrs, its belly full of brewing coffee. Rachel tugs open a cupboard door and selects a glass, asking, "Don, is the plumbing from the kitchen sink connected to the bathroom?"

Tracing his finger around the rim of the enormous mug reserved presumably for him, Don replies, "Yeah," impatiently awaiting his fix. Rachel smiles evilly and sets her glass down on the counter, turning her attention to the sink. Closing her hand on the hot water tap that is decorated with a red ring, Rachel twists it abruptly and turns it on full blast. There is a short delay, and then a loud swearword bursts from the bathroom, followed by the abrupt sound of sound of the shower turning off. Don quickly collects his coffee and beats a hasty treat, not wanting to be in the kitchen when Vanessa comes out. All is quiet for a few minutes; then, the bathroom door is flung open and Vanessa comes out in a damp T-shirt and jeans, her long hair wrapped up in a towel. She closes the door behind her and stalks toward the kitchen, narrowing her eyes on Rachel when she sees the hint of a smile on her face. Vanessa places her hands on her hips and asks sarcastically, "Are you happy now?"

"Very. I called dibs on the first shower, remember?" Rachel teases.

Vanessa rolls her eyes and says, "You're like a seven-year-old, Rachel," laughing as she leaves the kitchen. Rachel waits until Vanessa is safely behind the closed door of Raph's bedroom, then heads to the washroom to have a shower, leaving Grace by herself in the quiet kitchen. Grace wanders out of the kitchen and steers toward the couch, flopping down before she realizes that she's not the only one who has decided to unwind with some television. Leo is calmly seated on the couch beside her, watching the news cast. _'Just don't look at Leo,'_ Grace tells herself, although she glances at him momentarily out of the corner of her eye. She supposes it can't hurt, seeing as no one knows that she has a crush on Leo. She hasn't even told Lily, so she feels safe.

The odd behaviour begins when Mikey walks behind the couch while Grace and Leo are watching the news. There is a stifled sound that Grace soon identifies as held in gut-wrenching laughter, and she turns around to look over the back of the couch out of curiosity. Mikey has his fist shoved into his mouth to keep himself from bursting into a loud laughing fit and is looking at them with an expression that can only be described as giddy. Grace is baffled and glances at Leo for a second to check if Mikey has played some prank on him, but he looks intact. When Grace turns back to Mikey, his back is to her and he is making his way to the outer ring of the lair. _'Okay, that was weird,'_ Grace says to herself, sinking back into her seat and returning to the TV. She is looking at the screen but is unfocused on the moving pictures, the sounds hardly reaching her as she toys with her thoughts. All is relatively quiet until Leo leans back; his shift of weight causes the cushion Grace is perched on to tilt, and she slides down the worn surface. Her arm is against Leo's for a few seconds, and at that very moment another person comes up behind them and drapes himself over the back of the couch. It's Raph, and he has a wolfish grin that makes Grace's stomach do a little nervous flip.

"Ya inta jail bait, Leo?" Raph teases, and Leo's face is a mix between disapproval and embarrassment as he scoots away. It all suddenly clicks in Grace's mind. The looks, the secretive smiles; they _know_. And she knows that only one person could have told everyone. Her face burning in embarrassment, Grace leaps off the couch and marches to where she knows she'll find the culprit: Don's laboratory.

Without knocking, Grace answers the lab and catches a snippet of what Don is saying, "…if you connect the wire to the—"

"Nosey jerk!" Grace growls as she comes to a halt directly in front of Lily. Pointing accusingly to the open door that leads to the lair, Grace says shrilly, "You _told_ them, didn't you?"

"What are you talking about?" Lily asks patiently with a sigh and gives Don an apologetic look, pleading he understands her sister's dramatic behaviour because of Mikey's and Raph's mannerisms. Grace's jaw tightens and she hisses through clenched teeth, "You told them I have a crush on him, _didn't you_?"

"Can you be more specific? Who are we talking about?" Lily asks nonchalantly, although now the corners of her mouth threaten a tiny smile that makes her sister's annoyance spike. Instead of rewarding the tease with a response, Grace spins on her heel and exits the lab in a huff, muttering indistinguishable things under her breath. Lily waits until Grace is out of earshot before she releases the laugh that has been beating at her insides since she saw Grace's wild-eyed expression when she entered the room. She turns back to the project she and Don are working on, mumbling fondly, "Oh, Grace…"

"I hate her, I hate her, I hate her!" Grace repeats to herself over and over, although she is no closer to believing it than she was about five minutes ago when she began this mantra. She lands on the guest bed in a sitting position and tightens her arms over her chest like a shield against the embarrassment she's trying to fight off. Her face scrunches up in an ugly scowl and she takes in an enormous breath before she sighs in defeat, her body relaxing with the exhalation. Grace lies flat on her back and stares at the ceiling, wondering if anyone will remember her rampage in an hour or two. Hopefully not; that won't help her case any. It's unfortunate that she can't even stay mad for more than ten minutes before she feels the need to apologize, but that's the way she is. _'I hate my conscience.'_

Grace pushes herself off the bed and heads to the door, stopping when she hears a bit of muffled conversation on the other side of the door. She presses her ear to the door and holds her breath, listening to someone get a tongue lashing. She recognizes Lily's displeased adult voice, and then hears Leo say disapprovingly, "You didn't have to embarrass Grace like that."

"C'mon, we were kiddin'! The kid can take a joke," Raph insists, sounding annoyed that he's being chewed out for his teasing. Lily's voice comes in again, saying, "She can, but she's fourteen! Fourteen-year-old girls do not want their interactions with their crush to be broadcasted to the whole household."

"Technically," Mikey points out, "It was just me, Raph and Leo." Grace hears a smack and Mikey cries, "Ow!" Apparently someone found his joke just about as funny as Grace did.

"We're sorry, alright? We'll tell Grace later," Raph says, sounding chagrined.

"Nonononono!" Lily cuts in, her voice frantic, "You can't do that, it will make it even worse! It's bad enough that you guys know about it, now you're going to _talk_ to her about it? That's not what she wants at all!"

"Then what do we do?" Mikey asks Lily, yet again confused by the strange workings of the unfamiliar female mind. Having heard enough, Grace turns the doorknob, pulling the door open suddenly to the surprise of Mikey, who was leaning on it a second before and flails for balance.

"I'll _tell_ you what you should do," Grace replies, startling them all, "First, you're not going to talk about this behind my back. And second," Grace pauses, looking right at Lily, "I'm going to apologize for yelling at you. I'm sorry I over reacted Lily, I was just…to be honest, kind of pissed off that you invaded my privacy." Lily gives Grace a look for her language, but Grace ignores it, pressing on, "I'm also going to say sorry to Leo for embarrassing him like…like _this_."

Leo looks down at his feet and Grace sighs, but regains her authoritative tone of voice as she says, "None of us have to say _anything_ about what happened, and it will all just go away. I'm okay with that, if all of you are."

The three brothers and Lily exchange glances, then reply in unison, "Deal." Mikey and Raph make their great escape from the mess they made, speeding toward their respective bedrooms at an alarming speed. Lily wraps her arms around Grace in a hug and apologizes, "I'm sorry I—"

"Stop," Grace orders, pulling back from Lily's embrace, "We agreed not to talk about that, remember?" Grace smiles and keeps her mouth shut, thinking to herself, _'The last thing I want is this coming back to haunt me.'_

Lily squeezes both of Grace's shoulders and dives into her parent-spiel, "You still have to do that homework you got from Amy over the phone. Have it done by tomorrow afternoon, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah," Grace replies and rolls her eyes, although she's grinning at her sister. Lily points at Grace and insists firmly, "I mean it. Don't make me ground you."

Grace gestures with her hands and asks, "What do you call this?" Lily laughs and turns around, heading toward Don's laboratory. When Lily has disappeared, Grace smiles and says to herself, _'Thank God __**that's**__ over.'_

It's then that Grace notices that Leonardo is still standing with her, his expression pinched in thought. _'He's attractive when he's thinking,'_ Grace remarks, but quickly shoves this inappropriate thought from her mind and smiles nervously at Leo, hoping he didn't know what she was thinking. She knows it's ridiculous that she thinks Leo can read her thoughts, yet she can't shake the feeling that Leo has some crazy ninjitsu-mindreading abilities or something. '_Anything is possible,'_ she says to herself, looking at Leo and waiting for him to either leave or accuse her of having sexual thoughts about him. Both would be the right thing to do at the moment.

"I know we agreed not to talk about what happened," Leo begins with conviction, "But I just want to say I'm…I'm sorry that Raph and Mikey weren't very nice to you about it." Grace looks down at her toes and blushes, her ears reddening to match to a freshly cooked lobster. Leo clears his throat and says quietly so only Grace can hear, "You're a nice, smart girl…"

_'Oh, __**no**__! The sympathetic speech! I can't believe this,'_ Grace bemoans, but keeps her mouth shut, allowing Leo to continue uninterrupted. Leo stops for a moment to collect his thoughts and inclines his head, locking his intense eyes with hers. He switches his approach to the subject and says, "You're a great girl—excuse me, _woman—_and I know that you're going to be even greater in the future. I'm sorry that I'm not the right person for you, but I'm glad that I get to watch you grow up, learn, live, and someday find someone special like I have. Besides, if you go out with someone older than you, what hope will the boys your age have?"

Grace is so stunned by Leo's unexpected joke that she pauses for a moment before bursting forth with a laugh. His eyes light up with his smile and Leo laughs too, a full belly laugh that sounds as warm as a cup of tea. Grace says, "I hope I didn't hurt your feelings when I was avoiding you. I just didn't want…well, _this_ to happen, so I thought the best thing to do was just stay as far away from you as possible."

Leo sighs and replies, "Raph and Mikey cause trouble all the time, it was inevitable. So, are you and I going to be alright?"

"Sure," Grace replies, and impulsively gives Leo a hug, hurrying into her bedroom before he can react to her movement. Leo stares at the closed door for a long second, surprised by the gesture, and then turns away from the door, smiling softly to himself. He sees Rachel leaning against the wall, her hair still damp, her smile amused and dreamy. Leo asks her warily, "How much of that did you hear?"

"All of it, you big softie," Rachel replies gently and steps forward, wrapping her arms around his torso while pressing her cheek into his shoulder. Leo closes his arms around her and takes in a deep breath through his nose, inhaling the fresh smell of her damp hair. Rachel smiles and kisses his chest, asking, "Do you want to go to bed?"

"Yeah, I'm exhausted. Sleep is the only thing I feel like right now," Leo answers wearily, leading Rachel by the hand to his bedroom three doors down. When they reach the door Rachel smirks coyly and asks, "Are you sure?" Leo nods, stifling a yawn. Rachel glances behind her to assure they're alone, and then places both hands on his plastron, slowly spreading out her fingers as she entices, "I have a lot of pent-up energy and frustration from our training session that I'm _dying_ to get rid of." She stretches up on her toes and whispers huskily into his ear, "You could help me work off my energy, if you'd like to."

Leo's face betrays no emotion, but his hands suddenly land on her back and press her body to his. His voice low, he replies, "It would be my pleasure," and steers her into his darkened bedroom, closing the door behind him. As Leo kisses Rachel fiercely and pushes his hands up the back of her shirt, she smiles to herself, glad that she and Leo still have a spark. _'I am __**good**__.'_

_Oh, poor Grace! On the plus side, Mikey and Raph got told off by Lily! _;)

_The next chapter will focus more on the plotline, so please be patient with me! Thanks for reading, and I apologize for the late update. Please review!_

_The Light of Reason _


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